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A LADY’S GLIMPSE 


OF THE LATE 


WAR IN BOHEMIA. 


II 


































•> 


















































•HOVHNacioa 



















































A LADY’S GLIMPSE 

OF THE LATE 


WAR IN BOHEMIA. 



BY 


y 


LIZZIE SELINA EDEN %fC 


18C7 


■4 


' ty °f Wash'll'^** 

/> LONDON : 

HURST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS, 

13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET. 

1867. 




The right of Translation is reserved 
































TO 

MRS. BELL, 

OF BOURNE, 


THIS LITTLE BOOK 
IS 

VERY AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED. 






CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER I. 

The Invitation—Journey to Nice—Nice to Genoa—Hotel 
des Quatre Nations—Genoa—The Duomo—A Long 
Day’s Journey—Italian Railways—Bergamo—Venice— 
San Marco—The Lido—Night on the Railway . . 3 

CHAPTER n. 

Nabresina—Hurricanes—Spring Aspect of England, France, 
and Italy—Steinbriick—Gratz—The Sommering Pass— 
Triumph of Engineering Skill—Vienna—St. Stephen’s 
Cathedral—Vienna to Pressburg . . . .25 

CHAPTER m. 

“ Motesitzkysches Haus”—Pressburg—Ascent of the Moun¬ 
tains—Tea-garden—Hungarian Costume—New and Old 
Meadows—Foreign Impressions of England—Green Trees 
Hotel—Czigany Band—Visit to a Nobleman’s Castle— 
Hungarian Village.45 




VI 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER IV. 

Theben—The Marclifeld—Beautiful Specimens of Jewelry 
—Ganserndorf—Briinn—Moravian Sausages—Prague— 
The “ Golden Angel”—Hussars—The Wit of the Regi¬ 
ment—Horses for Military Service . . . . C9 

CHAPTER V. 

Prague—Bodenbach—Tetschen—Castle of Count Thun— 
Management of Cattle—Sclaves—Wandering Czechs— 
General Brandenstein—Dwarf English Fowls—Model 
Farm—Bohemian Fairs—Croats . . . .85 

CHAPTER VI. 

Dresden — Anticipations of War — The Streets — Public 
Opinion—Rumours—The City Deserted—State of Feel¬ 
ing among the Saxons—Determine to Leave Dresden— 
A Useful Book—Hints on Etiquette . . . Ill 

CHAPTER VII. 

Bad Symptoms—Italian Soldiers—Exchange of Greetings 
—Austrian Conscription in Italy—Accoutrements of the 
Jiigers—Night Alarms—Want of Brotherhood in the 
Austrian Army—War Declared. . . . 123 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Occupation of Dresden—The Emperor’s Proclamation— 
The Railway—The Signal Porter’s Lodge—Night Alarm 
—The Jiigers—Clearing the Ground—Order for Spring¬ 
ing the Mine—In der Kiiche . . . . 151 


CONTENTS. 


Vll 


CHAPTER IX. 

Unexpected Addition to onr Party—Amusing Questions— 
The Alarm Drum—A Catastrophe Prevented—Austrian 
Officers—Explosion of a Mine at Chatham—Imitative 
Faculty of Children—Mine on the Toplitz Road . 173 

CHAPTER X. 

Rapid Movements of the Prussians—My old Bath-Woman 
—Musical Evenings—River Police—Departure of Con¬ 
scripts—Reception of the King and Queen of Saxony— 
The Wounded at Prague—Lieutenant Pfeiffer . 197 

CHAPTER XI. 

Defeat of Austria—Conduct of the Prussians—Changing- 
Circular Xotes—Making Lint—Letter from Prague— 
The Little Kellner—Waiting for the Post—Schneeberg 
—A Group at Prayer.221 

CHAPTER XII. 

The Boatmen on the Elbe—Prussian Arrogance—The 
Signal Porter and his Wife—Prussians at Count Thun’s 
Castle—Brutal Inhumanity—A Prussian Spy—National 
Fortresses—Appalling Tale . . . . 247 

CHAPTER XIII. 

Departure from Bohemia—Attention of the Signal Porters— 
Niedergrund—Konigstein and Lilienstein—Improvement 
on Old Times—Dresden occupied by Prussians—Ap¬ 
pearance of the City—Ancient Servitors of King John, 

267 



VI11 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XIV. 

Captive Austrian Officer—Table d’Hote—Confederation of 
St. John—Wounded Soldiers—The Jager and his Com¬ 
rade—Brussels—Errors of the Austrian Commanders— 
The Future of Austria.285 


CfrapHr I. 

THE INVITATION—JOURNEY TO NICE—NICE TO GENOA—HOTEL 
DES QUATRE NATIONS—GENOA—THE DUOMO—A LONG DAY’S 
JOURNEY— ITALIAN RAILWAYS—BERGAMO—VENICE — SAN 
MARCO—THE LIDO—NIGHT ON THE RAILWAY. 


B 


“ ’Tis well to walk with, a cheerful heart, 
Wherever our fortunes fall; 

With a friendly glance and an open hand, 
And a gentle word for all.” 


CHAPTER, I. 


TAURING a long journey last summer on the 
Continent, many of my friends were firmly 
persuaded that I had, at least once , been taken 
prisoner by the Prussians ; and, as some of my 
anxious relatives afterwards told me, their fears 
for my safety even induced them to apply to the 
Horse Guards, or the Foreign Secretary, for armed 
escorts, or Queen’s Messengers, to be sent out in 
search of me. It was to set their minds at rest 
that, during four months absence, I wrote the 
following pages, originally in the form of 
letters. 

When I said good-bye to my friends in Lon¬ 
don, in March, we only talked of the pleasurable 
excursion in store for me; and my mind was 
more fixed on my sister’s approaching marriage at 


4 Invited to a Wedding. 

Nice, to which Iliad been summoned, than on any 
political crisis that might be impending on the 
Continent. 

The last wedding in a family is a very absorbing 
event, as not only is there the future of the intended 
bride and bridegroom to talk over and speculate 
about, but memory also is busy with the recollec¬ 
tions of the many former weddings, some of the 
first of which now reckon among the “ long, long 
ago ” days, and bring with them a numerous train 
of the absent and the dead. What with these 
thoughts for solitary moments, and the pleasant 
occupation of receiving letters of congratulation 
and presents for the bride, and afterwards 
saying farewell to my friends in England, 
I found myself crossing the Channel, and on 
my way to Nice, without having given a thought to 
Bismark ! In fact, despite of him, the wedding at 
the little English church there went off brilliantly, 
and I spent a very pleasant fortnight, and found 
myself, with the friend who had joined me in that 


Nice to Genoa. 


5 


city, standing on the deck of the “ Marco Polo,” on 
a bright sunny morning in early April, steaming out 
of the harbour with onlv a vague idea that Ye- 
netia was discontented—that Prussia was grasping 
—and that Austria was sleeping in fancied se¬ 
curity. 

We had a lovely day’s journey, coasting along 
the Corniche road till we got to Savona, from 
whence we struck across the bay to Genoa. The 
Corniche was looking, as it always does, beautiful 
and picturesque; but what will people say,of it 
when the railroad, which seems going on very ac¬ 
tively, and looks in many places near completion, is 
finished. Then we shall have only a confused idea 
of rushing in and out of tunnels, and short passing 
glimpses of the Mediterranean, and all the beauty 
of the road from Nice to Genoa, in its three days 
journey, will be over! What a pity, and what a 
heart of stone the engineer must have to design 
this cruel piece of practical travelling! 

After we stood out from the shelter of the land, 


6 


Virtue Rewarded. 


the cold north wind came cuttingly down from the 
mountains, and every one on board was recalled 
from the recollections of the bright sun, and 
summer-like scent of the orange-gardens of Nice, 
back to our English wraps and furs. I noticed a 
poor servant next me perishing with cold in her 
light Italian shawl, and I heaped her up with 
cloaks and rugs, of which we had abund¬ 
ance. 

Virtue in this case was not its whole sole re¬ 
ward, for, on entering the harbour of Genoa, the 
mistress, who was an English lady, came up and 
thanked me for my kindness to her maid, and if 
we had not fixed on any hotel, they strongly re¬ 
commended the u Hotel des Quatre Nations,” to 
which they were going, and the landlord of which 
expected to meet them with his boat. We were 
very glad, and thankfully accepted her kind proposal 
that we should accompany them ; but we w T ere 
kept waiting an hour nearly, while one of the 
ship’s officers went on shore to present our u bills 


Hotel des Quatre Nations. 7 

of health/’ and obtain leave from the Quarantine 
for the passengers landing. This was granted in 
time, and then came the bustle of landing and 
passing the custom-house, in which our newly- 
made acquaintances were of great use, as they had 
lived some time near Genoa, and were used to the 
ways of the authorities. 

The hotel to which they recommended us was 
extremely comfortable and reasonable, and the 
landlord quite charming, with an old-fashioned 
politeness and attention to his guests which made 
everything very pleasant. After the late table- 
ddiote dinner, this kind old man came and suggest¬ 
ed that, if we were not too tired, he should be 
allowed to accompany us through some of the 
principal streets, as, the next day being Sunday, 
all the silver and goldsmiths, and, in short, all the 
shops, would be closed. 

So we went through the picturesque streets, 
alive with busy, thriving industry. They 
looked more striking by lamplight than when I 


8 


Genoa. 


had seen them at other times by day, especially 
the gold and silver street, in which all the shops 
appeared dazzlingly bright and glittering. We 
were glad of our little stroll in the evening with 
our kind guide, especially as he pointed out to us 
churches and galleries which we could afterwards 
visit by ourselves. 

I am not going to tire my reader with a descrip¬ 
tion of what we saw and did in Genoa—of course it 
is just the same as Murray and Bradshaw, and all the 
guide-books describe it. I have been there four 
times, and every time the city looks more superb 
and beautiful to my imagination, the lonely Van- 
dycks in the Brignole Palace more fascinating, 
soft, and refined, the streets more picturesque 
and narrow, and the noise and bustle as astonish¬ 
ing as ever. The environs are beautiful—both the 
drives on the Corniche road, and those into the 
country behind the city ; and the city itself seems 
so full of life, and so thriving, with its port 
crowded with ships from every part of the world. 


The Duomo. 


9 


It was very pretty on Sunday morning, looking 
down on the tall masts in a forest below us, each 
ship, in honour of the day, having hoisted its 
country’s flag. If the ships u dressed” for the 
day, I am sure the women of Genoa did the same, 
for my Protestant prayers in the Duomo were 
much disturbed by the constant rustling of the 
silk dresses round me. Women came and knelt 
beside me, clothed in the very richest and 
stiffest of watered and brocaded silks, of the 
palest and most delicate colours, but with nothing 
on their heads except the soft white muslin veil, 
which they almost invariably retain. I regretted 
much to see on some dark Italian faces the pre¬ 
sent frightful little French bonnets, and felt sorry 
they could not appreciate better their graceful 
national head-dress. 

Our good old landlord (who, in courtesy and 
attention, reminded me so strongly of dear old 
Mr. Wright of “ the Fountain,” at Canterbury, of 
well-known memory) tried most kindly to persuade 


10 A Long Day's Journey. 

us, though in vain, to stay another day, and take 
a drive down to his country-house on the Corniche 
road, where he offered us luncheon. He also 
placed his private carriage at our disposal, and 
offered us the additional inducement of as many 
. flowers as we could carry; but as our time was 
limited, we had to decline most regretfully all 
these hospitable offers, and after paying our tiny 
bill, we prepared for our departure at three o’clock 
in the morning, our excellent host getting up to 
see us off, a mark of attention which I appreciated 
more than anything. 

From Genoa we went by Milan to Venice, a 
long day’s journey, especially as express trains are 
things unknown; and it was only for a short dis¬ 
tance, after leaving Milan, that the pace was at all 
accelerated. Indeed, we had a hard battle to be al¬ 
lowed (with our through tickets) to go by it, as they 
assured us that our train would not start till next 
morning. However, we had made up our minds 
to get to Venice that night, and so, with our 


Italian Railways . ll 

tickets in hand, we seated ourselves, in spite of all 
remonstrances, in the train that was starting for 
Peschiera. By-and-by a very civil official came up, 
and on showing our tickets to him, we were allowed 
to proceed, after paying a trifle more. But the Italian 
railways are queerly managed, and the porters are 
so scrupulous about not infringing the by-laws of 
the company, that they put themselves out of the 
way of temptation by steadily and firmly declining 
to carry any small articles that the passengers can 
carry for themselves, and for the conveyance of 
which one would willingly offer a slight remunera¬ 
tion. 

They are also extremely particular in not 
allowing in a first-class carriage any parcel, 
basket, or box beyond a certain height, depth, 
and breadth! The least attempt at argument 
on the part of the unfortunate traveller produces 
an abominable little measure, with which the 
dimensions of the article in dispute are deter¬ 
mined. 


12 Scenery on the Railway Journey. 

We had the mortification at Genoa of seeing 
consigned to the guard’s van the basket on 
which all our hopes of creature comforts for the 
long day’s journey depended. We had carefully 
packed books, wraps, food, and drink in it, 
and, notwithstanding our earnest entreaties, it 
was ruthlessly torn from us. We were allowed to 
unpack some things of vital importance , but all our 
nice little comfortable arrangements for the da}^ 
were destroyed. However, the scenery was very 
lovely, and as by good luck we had the carriage to 
ourselves, we were enabled to enjoy the views on 
different sides as the landscape opened out. 

My last journey was through France, and the 
change from the frightful flat country, which most 
of the railway there passes through, to the beauti¬ 
ful varied scene on the road from Genoa to Milan, 
was most refreshing. After Milan the railway 
runs closer to the hills, and the country is very 
pretty. We passed by numberless picturesque villa¬ 
ges and some fine towns. Amongst the latter 


Bergamo. 13 

Bergamo seemed to us most striking, standing on 
a commanding hill, with its old churches and 
domes, and strong-looking fortifications and towers. 
A river runs near the city, and in the distance 
is the beautiful broken chain of mountains round 
Como. We agreed that at some future time we 
must return and take up our quarters at Bergamo, 
and we promised ourselves many a long day’s 
sketching in the tempting-looking environs. 

Near Bergamo, at a little town station where we 
stopped, we noticed, facing the railway, a small old- 
fashioned tower on which was one of those quaint 
antique clocks that only mark to six. One 
often reads of them, but, as I think, happily, very 
rarely sees them now, for it appears to me that 
four sixes iu the twenty-four must perplex one 
considerably. We reached Peschiera late in the 
afternoon. Just after leaving the custom¬ 
house, it struck us we had fallen on troublous 
times, as an incoming train of Austrian soldiers, 
coming from Italy, greeted our train with a mix- 


14 


Venice . 


ture of groans and exclamations !—very like those 
heard from opposition carriages passing each other 
at an election. 

A fortnight or three weeks after this, the bridge 
we had just passed over at Brescia was partly 
destroyed, and only rail enough left for the transit 
of troops. 

It was dark when we got to Venice, where we 
had to go through a sort of custom-house formula 
again, the marking of our boxes with a piece of 
chalk, which was done by a tall man (out of uni¬ 
form for a miracle), who wished us good night 
with a truly Austrian bow. 

Our hotel was dismally grand, but very com¬ 
fortable, all except the sheets, which were as wet 
as if they had come out of the canal. It was in vain 
to expostulate with the chambermaid, who assured 
us it was their nature in Venice—that all sheets 
were so there. As we were much too tired and 
sleepy to argue, we went to bed, taking it for 
granted that at Venice we must do as the Vene- 


Scm Marco. 


15 


tians do; but sleep was just stealing pleasantly 
on, when we awoke to the fact that we were in a 
perfect vapour bath, from the intense clamp. The 
sheets were, therefore, speedily consigned to the 
floor, and we did very well in shawls and blankets. 

I was horribly disappointed in Venice with 
everything but the Doge’s Palace. That is very 
fascinating, with its splendid rooms and paintings, 
its finished architecture, its rich adornments, and its 
dark, gloomy cells, about which the guides narrate 
such thrilling legends by the light of one very 
dim, strong-smelling tallow candle, which, by-the- 
way, sadly spoils the effect! 

San Marco is much too oriental to please me for 
a church, giving one rather the idea of a mosque. 
I suppose one ought to feel a respect for Venice, 
when one thinks of her glorious days of old, and sees 
the remains of her power in the splendid prizes she 
bore away from the East in her palmy times—but 
it also makes the contrast suggested by her pre¬ 
sent state still more depressing. It struck me at 


16 


Rome and Venice. 


Venice, the same as it did in Rome, years ago, that 
the scenes and events of the present day can be but 
a mockery of the pomp and splendour of the mag¬ 
nificent olden time. Rome always looks as if it 
had been formerly peopled by giants—men vast 
in mind to design such structures, and vast in body 
to occupy them—and we English, French, and 
Italians, who swarm over the ruins, appear like 
pigmies who have found out something marvellous 
to gaze and wonder at. 

Venice produces much the same impression, only 
that, instead of giants, the ancient city must have 
been peopled with princes—of whom everything we 
see now seems the ruined splendour. The palaces 
still exhibit their original outside grandeur, but one 
looks in vain for the internal magnificence that ought 
to distinguish suchgorgeous edifices. Some are hotels, 
some museums, and others stand empty; but desola¬ 
tion and squalid beggary seem to reign paramount. 
Even the gondolas one may suppose, by the exercise 
of a little imagination, to be the workhouse coffins 


Venice. 


17 




of the gondoliers of former days, gliding about in 
jetty blackness. What a contrast, too, is presented 
by the shabby, starved-looking boatmen of the pre¬ 
sent day to the picture of their predecessors which 
memory conjures up from recitals of the olden 
days! 

Venice can never, surely, be anything great and 
glorious again, but I wondered which government 
the people, a few years hence, would honestly prefer, 
if given their choice—that of the Kaiser, of Victor 
Emmanuel, or the glorious Republican days of yore? 
They ought to feel grateful to the Kaiser, but they 
certainly do not, for everywhere in Venice we met 
with discontent and murmuring. They little thought 

r 

then what a change the summer would bring them, 
and I only hope they will derive all the benefit from 
it they seem to expect, though the fact that they re¬ 
ceive their freedom from the hands of the French 
must surely destroy all the bright gilding of the 
bitter pill, as it was the French who pillaged and 
ruined the city, and humbled the pride of the 


C 


18 


Austrians and Italians. 


Queen of the Adriatic to the mud (one cannot say 
dust in Venice, where all is dampness and swamp). 

Now the Austrians have everywhere respected 
the relics of Venetian greatness and the na¬ 
tional memories of the people. Even when we 
were there in April, artisans and mechanics 
were busy in many public places regilding, 
restoring, and redecorating, under the orders of 
the committee for that purpose, appointed by the 
Emperor of Austria ; and certainly the infusion 
of active German life amongst the sleepy Italians 
has given a stimulus to hotels and shops. 

The dislike to Austria was insultingly manifested 
by the inhabitants, but borne by the hated Tedeschi 
with the patient pity they could afford to bestow. 
We were taking chocolate at the “Europa,” on 
the Piazza of St. Mark, where a respectable num¬ 
ber of idle-looking Venetians were lounging about, 
listening to the music of one of the native stroll¬ 
ing bands. As the clocks struck the hour of 
three, and the Austrian band, in its white 


The Lido . 


19 


uniform, marched into the Piazza, one would 
have thought that three o’clock was the Venetian 
curfew hour, so swiftly and instantaneously did all 
the gay spectators and listeners vanish from the 
scene, leaving only a few amused Austrian 
officers. There is only one consolation for the 
Austrians in being so hated, which is, that the 
Venetians have long detested their next-door 
neighbours ten times worse, and the Milanese 
will now probably become again the objects of 
their capricious spite. 

We went to see the Lido one afternoon. A 
strong north-east wind was blowing furiously, and 
we "were nearly shipwrecked on some of the mud- 
banks along the Lagune. Fancy what a ludi¬ 
crous termination to our trip—wrecked in a 
gondola on a canal in Venice! After much 
labour and hard pulling, we arrived at the Lido, 
where the gondoliers assured us it was the right 
thing for us to land, and walk across to see the 
famous bathing-place on the sea side of the Lido, 

c 2 


20 


The Gondolas and Canals. 


whilst they also landed, and drank our health at 
the little inn opposite the small pier. We were 
glad of the walk after our icy row and stormy 
encounter with the gale, and leaving the men to 
enjoy their sour wine, we started. 

An Austrian officer passed and repassed us 
several times, kindly making his horse curvet and 
rear, to relieve the monotony of the scene ; and 
when we arrived on the shore of the seaboard, a 
savage-looking man put his head out of a window 
to scowl at us; but this was all there was to see 
—nothing living besides. Spreading for miles 
was a dreary waste of sand, without a human 
being, and beyond that the blue stretch of sea, 
without a sail to break the monotony of the line ; 
but it must be worth the row in fine weather, as 
the sea looked deliciously clean and fresh for 
bathing, which certainly could not be said of any 
water nearer the city of Venice. 

We had a better row T back, as the wind was 
more in our favour; but gondolas are heavy, 


Custom-House Officials. 21 

lumbering things, and, of course, quite unfit for a 
rough day and high wind. But worse than the 
gondolas are the canals. I wonder what the 
Sanitary Commissioners would do in Venice ?—I 
mean a good strict English Commission. They 
would first be at their wits’ end, and then set to 
work to have all the small canals hermetically 
sealed, arched, and macadamized. Would those 
disgusting big rats and loathsome little crabs 
still crawl about, enjoying life in the dark 
underground receptacles of horrors that the 
romantic canals would then be ? If Byron, and 
Dante, and Rogers had not imagined so much 
beauty about Venice, no doubt she would long 
ago have become a respectable, healthy city. 
We found the smells and sights unbearable in 
April, with a freezing north wind blowing—what 
must Venice be in the dog-days? 

We left at 9.15, by the night train, and had no 
trouble with the very polite custom-house officials, 
who merely opened my dressing-case, the silver fit- 


22 Night on the Railway. 

tings of which they very much admired. I suppose 
it appeared to them the most unlikely thing that 
we could smuggle contraband articles in. We also 
had a most civil guard (Austrian of course), who 
locked us into a carriage, where we were not dis¬ 
turbed all night, save when an occasional train of 
merry, excited troops passed, or when we stopped 
at the frequent stations, and knew we might settle 
ourselves again for a nap, when the u forward ” 
of the guard (instead of a shrill whistle) started us 
on our way. 


Cljaplcr II 


NABRESINA—HURRICANES—SPRING ASPECT OF ENGLAND, 
FRANCE, AND ITALY—STEINBRUCK—GRATZ—THE SOMMER- 
ING PASS—TRIUMPH OF ENGINEERING SKILL—VIENNA—ST. 
STEPHEN’S CATHEDRAL—VIENNA TO PRESSBURG. 


God of the earth’s extended plains! 

The dark green fields contented lie ; 

The mountains rise like holy towers, 

Where man may commune with the sky. 
The tall cliff challenges the storm 
That lowers upon the vale below, 

Where shaded fountains send their streams, 
With joyous music in their flow. 


25 


CHAPTER II. 

j^/j’Y first really successful effort at shaking off 
sleep, and thoroughly opening my eyes, 
made me aware that we were slowly and laboriously 
toiling up a steep incline, with rough, rugged rocks 
of honeycombed-looking lava on each hand ; and, 
occasionally, as we rounded the side of a hill, we 
could see the waters of the Adriatic far below us 
on the right. There are hills about Padua which 
have been supposed to be volcanic ; and this part 
of Venetia looked very like the refuse remains of 
an extinct volcano. 

About 6 a.m. we reached Nabresina, where 
we had to wait an hour for the train from Trieste, 
which time we passed very pleasantly in break¬ 
fasting. We should have been glad of the further 


26 Wild and Monotonous Country . 

luxury of a good wash, but this being an un¬ 
heard-of thing, we had to go without it. Again 
to-day we met with much civility. For the great¬ 
est part of the journey we had the carriage quite 
to ourselves—a real comfort, especially where the 
scenery is very beautiful on both sides, as one can 
change places as often as one likes. 

For some time after leaving Nabresina, the 
country is very wild and monotonous, reminding 
me forcibly of the uncultivated parts of Malta— 
nothing for miles but plains of desolate-looking 
masses of rocks and stones, without an atom of 
vegetation. I also noticed in several places large 
abysses, as if the earth underneath had given 
way; very like the famous pit at Malta, the 
Makluba, which no one is permitted to call vol¬ 
canic, but which looks to an unenlightened mind 
very like it. Here, in Carniola, it looked exactly 
as if the pure earth had had a good boiling, and 
after bubbling and simmering for at least a 
thousand years, had sunk far down, leaving all 


Hurricanes. 


27 


the scum of rocks and stones in confusion 
on the surface. To add to the desolation, in 
many places very high barriers, with strong sup¬ 
ports, were erected on the right bank of the rail¬ 
way, as if troops of elephants were in the habit of 
trespassing on the line, but in reality to prevent 
the furious winds that rage in these dreary wilds 
from upsetting the trains. These winds must be 
something fearful, as even on the tops of cuttings 
we see the same lofty strong fences. It made one 
shiver to look across the arid country, and think 
of the wretched horses and waggons that, with 
their drivers, are often whirled over the rugged 
rocks, when caught in these hurricanes. No w T on- 

I 

der that even the smallest leaf is not seen in these 
parts. By-and-by a little vegetation appeared, 
in the shape of stunted black thorns, looking 
withered and wind-torn. This desolate scene, 
however, was only the preparation for a view 
so beautiful, that the contrast was all the more 
welcome. 


28 


Wild Flowers . 


Once past the Julian Alps, the country soon 
changed; and after the thorn bushes had given us 
hope of brighter tints to come, we passed several 
fertile plains, already sprinkled with the purple 
blossoms of the anemone sylvestris. 

We grumble at the slowness of the trains abroad, 
but where the country is very lovely, the rate of ten 
miles an hour is not such a hardship. With my love 
of wild flowers I felt quite glad that our express 
(which, by-the-bye, runs only twice a week be¬ 
tween Trieste and Vienna) enabled me to see and 
recognise many favourites which are rare in 
England; but I am not going to trouble my reader 
with a descriptive list, only while I am on the subject 
of flowers, I must say that it strikes me as an ex¬ 
cellent plan to leave England in the spring—dear 
old England has such a bilious colouring in its 
spring garments! The trees have mostly a yel¬ 
low tinge of green ; the corn-fields are often 
yellow when the farmers shake their heads over 
them in March; and the meadows are celebrated 


Spring Aspect of France and Italy. 29 

in prose and verse as yellow with golden buttercups. 
The spring flowers, too, the aconite, crocus, prim¬ 
rose, jonquil, daffodil, laburnum, cowslip, are all 
yellow and bilious-looking. 

To avoid this jaundice look, come abroad, and 
pass through France (the south, I mean) in March, 
and you will see a soft pink blush warming all 
the landscape, which glows with the delicate blos¬ 
soms of the almond, peach, and nectarine trees, 
while scarlet anemones or pink corn flags mix with 
the bright little pheasant’s eye, and make the fields 
look like a Turkey carpet. 

In Italy it is the same, only in it you have the 
soft tender green of budding vines, fig trees, and 
pomegranate ; and here in Austria, the glorious 
Carinthian mountains are veined with masses of 
the intense azure of the cynoglossum, while the 
plains below are rich in mantles of the Imperial 
blue of the exquisite gentians. 

All that day’s journey, from eleven A.M. till 
night set in, was the most lovely of my life—it 


30 Splendid Panorama. 

was like sitting in an arm-chair and having a 
splendid panorama passed before my delighted 
sight. At one time we were going along the ledge 
of a mountain clothed with lofty pines, which 
threw a softened gloomy shade over the passing 
train; then from the forest we would emerge 
into the brilliant sunlight, and imagine that we 
should go for miles along the range of hills which 
we saw stretching into the distance, still keeping 
the fertile valley far below, with its snug villages, 
green meadows, and silvery streams; but in 
another ten minutes, we came to a sharp curve, 
and were passing on a gigantic viaduct over 
our u happy valley,” looking our last on this 
fair scene, only to go through a cutting or tunnel 
on the opposite hill-side, and again emerge on an¬ 
other vista of broad valleys, steep precipices, and 
picturesque towns. Beyond all this was the beau¬ 
tiful frame to our ever-changing picture, the 
Carinthian chain of mountains, most of the way 
standing towering on the left. Of course in 


Steinbriick, 


31 


such a rocky country the tunnels were frequent, 
but they were a relief to eyes almost dazzled with 
so much variety. 

Some distance before we reach Steinbriick, 
the railway proceeds along a narrow mountain 
pass, with the river Save running many feet 
below. All the country it traverses, till it joins 
the Danube, is said to be very beautiful, and 
is well worth a visit. 

At Steinbriick, where the railway takes a turn 
due north, we stopped an hour to dine. The 
scenery is still very interesting, but quite different 
from that of the early part of the day. The valley 
is much narrower, and, consequently, we have no 
distant view. 

At Marburg, the Drave, another tributary of 
the Danube, is crossed; and there are plenty of 
small mountain streams, as well as the river Mur, 
which runs by the railway for some distance. It is 
marvellous how, owing to the rocky nature of the 
country in Styria, the line has to wind. You 


32 


Grdtz. 


see nothing but a mountain wall before you, and 
contemplate the prospect of a long tunnel; but 
the engineer has discovered some winding narrow 
valley, along which you glide until you come again 
to similar impassable-looking walls, where ano¬ 
ther mysterious outlet through narrow mountain 
gorges is found. 

At Gratz, all the beauty and fashion of that old 
town seemed to have met at the railway station. 
Ladies with immense bouquets, and in very smart 
Parisian-looking toilettes, with officers in the full 
uniform of different regiments, crowded the plat¬ 
form. 

After waiting some time, two of the bro¬ 
thers of the Emperor emerged from the waiting- 
room, and entered into conversation with those 
around them. One elderly officer, in a very 
splendid uniform, decorated with many orders, 
seemed much moved at the leave-taking, and 
kissed the hand of Archduke Albrecht with great 
fervour. All this time livery servants were hurry- 


The Summering Pass. 33 

mg luggage into the van; and when all was ar¬ 
ranged, the Archduchess . Albrecht, a tall, hand¬ 
some woman, with a sweet, kind face, came out, 
and bowed very smilingly, right and left, as, lead¬ 
ing her little child by the hand, she passed up the 
platform to her carriage. Poor thing! she must 
have had many a moment of anxiety afterward^, 
when her husband was with the army in Ve- 
netia. 

When all was settled, we started again, and 
luckily it was still in broad daylight when w r e 
ascended the crowning glory of the day’s journey 
—the beautiful Sommering pass, the highest 
of the mountain passes in Styria. The ascent 
from the Styrian side is so gradual that you 
are not aware of the great height you have at¬ 
tained, thanks to the puffing, panting engine, 
which, near the summit, plunges into a tunnel near¬ 
ly a mile long, and then rests in the chilly air of the 
high ground on the other side, evidently to take 
breath and look round. The railway-station at 


D 


34 Triumph of Engineering Shill. 

Summering is 4,000 feet above the level of the 
sea, the highest perch that splendid bird of passage 
—the railway—has yet attained. 

While we waited here, the children who inhabit 
the few cottages in this high spot brought a pro¬ 
fusion of most lovely bouquets of wild flow r ers to 
the passengers, arranged with much taste. They 
offered them on the ends of long sticks held 
up at the windows of the carriages, and were 
very glad of some small pieces of money in re¬ 
turn. 

When we set off again, it was to glide with 
great rapidity for some time down the most 
beautiful and wonderful piece of engineering that 
mortal brain ever planned. You go for some dis¬ 
tance along the ledge of a splendid mountain, 
with such a maze of tangled beauty extended 
before you fathoms below. Through the mists 
that are shading the valley deep down the 
abyss you see some ruins, and a narrow shining 
white line. Some half hour later you find yourself, 


Wonderful Line of Railway. 35 

after innumerable turns and twists, passing under 
these ruins, the remains of a good-sized chateau, 
the white thread near which now appears as a fine 
broad mountain stream. 

It seems as if unlimited boldness of design and 
amplitude of funds must have been required to 
execute such a line of railway. You go along 
a ledge of rock for some distance, and when 
you come to another gorge (which, if followed, 
would carry you too far out of your route, 
and in an opposite direction to that in which you 
wish to go), the rail is -flung over the fearful 
chasm, on a marvel of a viaduct, of which, in a 
few minutes, you have an excellent view, as you 
are now T on another ledge. One holds his breath 
as he gazes over the precipice into the abyss 
below, and then looks up to the rows of arches 
over which he has just passed. In some places 
the rocks have been blasted to allow for the wind¬ 
ing road, and in other critical spots solid arches of 
masonry are built into the fissures of the rocks to 

D 2 


36 Railway between Vienna and Trieste . 

supply tlie foundation. It is a scene so wonderful 
and so beautiful, that I cannot attempt to describe 
it. The sensations which I experienced when, 
safely arrived in the plain, I looked up at the 
stupendous mountain road I had glided down, the 
steep inclines and sharp curves of which the train 
had successfully followed, are equally beyond the 
power of my pen. 

Luckily when we got to the plain twilight w T as 
coming on, and as the country is very ugly, \yq 
lost nothing, while the quiet of evening enabled 
us, while we rested, to recall all the beauties which 
we had passed during the course of the long day. 
It seems strange that, between two such cities as 
Vienna and Trieste, there should be only a single 
line of rail all the way, and but two express 
trains a week. In times of emergency—as, 
for instance, lately in war time—the inconvenience 
must be much felt when the trains are occupied 
by troops for days together; and even then they 
can take only a limited number, to allow of 


Vienna. 


37 


the return empty trains being shunted. The 
sidings seem an enormous length at most of the 
stations, as I noticed heavy timber trains of very 
great length, with two and three engines, waiting 
at some of the mountain stations, on their way to 
Trieste, for the express to pass. 

Except the departure of the Archdukes from 
Gratz, and some troops exercising at another town, 
we did not notice any warlike preparations all 
along our road through Austria. 

We reached Vienna at ten, thoroughly tired 
and weary with our twenty-four hours’ journey from 
Venice. While waiting on the platform for the lug- 

i 

gage, one of the officials approached, cap in hand, 
and asked — u Had he the honour of addressing the 

Princess of-, as carriages were waiting for 

her highness ?” Of course 1 had to disclaim the 

cl 

honour, and, instead of the luxurious carriage, had 
to content myself with the drosky, which was now 
ready, and the quiet little horses of which soon 
trotted us to the hotel, where we were most 



38 


A u Turnip Bogie? 

thankful to get a good supper and comfortable 
rooms. 

When I looked in the glass, instead of a 
u princess,” I was almost startled at seeing an 

exact representation of a u turnip bogie !”—the 

* 

same perfectly colourless round disk for the face, 
and two black cavities for eyes. This transforma¬ 
tion in my appearance only hurried me to bed the 
quicker, and all the fatigues of the day were soon 
forgotten in sound refreshing sleep. 

The friend with whom we were going to stay 
at Pressburg came next morning to meet us, and 
advised us to go there by the Danube steamer. 
We fully intended seeing Vienna thoroughly when 
we left Pressburg —now we were much too tired 
of sight-seeing to think of it. After breakfast, 
we paid a visit to the excellent bath not far 
from the hotel, and close to the Danube. I was 
rather disappointed that the swimming bath was 
not yet open, as I had heard that was extremely 
amusing. The warm baths, however, are very 


St. Stephen!s Cathedral. 39 

comfortable and clean, and thoroughly English 
in all their appointments. 

After a good wash, we left this establishment, 
crossed the bridge, and found our way to early 
prayers at St. Stephen’s cathedral, in which we 
were thankful to join, safe at our long journey’s 
end. 

Centuries ago, when people went from London 
to York, prayers for their safe journey were offer¬ 
ed up previously; but now we have grown such 
Pagans, that we go rushing all over sea and land 
without stopping to feel grateful for safety of life 
and limbs. The same good Providence rules us 
still, and the risks, though of a different sort, are 
surely no less now, if not greater, than in those 
times when bad roads, infested by highwaymen, 
were the torment of travelling. In former days 
such calamities as the destruction of trains full of 
happy excursionists, suddenly hurried into eternity, 
were unheard of. 

The cathedral is so covered with scaffolding, 


40 Vienna to Pressburg. 

both inside and out, that one has not much idea of 
what it will be some years hence, when the re¬ 
pairs are finished. The shops of leather-work in 
Vienna are most tempting in everything but 
price—at least, when I was there in April every¬ 
thing was very dear; but I was told that, just be¬ 
fore the war, they were almost giving the things 
away. 

We left Vienna at four by the Danube steamer 
—a very good boat, though not one of the finest, 
which only took us as far as Pesth. The scenery 
between Vienna and Pressburg, though not 
striking, is varied occasionally by very picturesque 
hills, covered with vineyards. At two small 
towns, where the steamer stops for passengers, 
there are the pretty ruins of an old castle. The 
left bank is very flat and ugly, till you reach 
Theben, where the March joins the Danube. 
Here there is a very fine, grand rock, on which 
was a large, imposing-looking castle, which the 
French knocked to pieces in 1810. Now there 


The Gate of the Danube. 41 

are only a few small watch-towers, and the re¬ 
mains of extensive walls and fortresses to show 
what the u Gate of the Danube ” must once have 
been. 









Chapter III. 

“ MOTESITZKYSCHES HAUS ” — PRESSBURG—ASCENT OF “ THE 
MOUNTAINS ”—TEA-GARDEN—HUNGARIAN COSTUME—NEW 
AND OLD MEADOWS—FOREIGN IMPRESSIONS OF ENGLAND— 
GREEN TREES HOTEL—CZIGANY BAND—VISIT TO A NOBLE¬ 
MAN’S CASTLE—HUNGARIAN VILLAGE. 


“ A simultaneous burst of leaves 
Has clothed the forest now; 

A single week’s bright sunshine weaves 
This vivid glad spring show.” 


45 


CHAPTER III. 


ERY soon after leaving Theben, the castle 



above Pressburg is seen over the wooded 
banks of the river. Shortly after the bridge of boats 
came in sight, and we landed at the quay at seven 
o’clock, it being only three hours with the current • 
down from Vienna. The house my friends were 
living in rejoiced in the euphonious name of 
“ Motesitzkysches Haus,” and it used to provoke 
me to hear the glib way in which the shop-keepers 
would run the name off when desired to send 
home parcels. 

“Oh! yes, to ‘Motesitzkysches Haus,”’ just as 
if it had been Smith’s or Jones’! Fancy the 
name in London, announced at a fashionable 


ball! 


46 Pressburg. 

The city of Pressburg is rather pretty. A great 
part of it is built on the hill on which the castle 
stands, and the principal street, which is irregular 
and picturesque—with a curious old gateway 
half-way up—runs over a hill, at the top of which 
is situated the railway-station. The castle looks 
very well from the other bank of the Danube, from 
which the prettiest view of the town is also ob¬ 
tained ; but on a closer inspection you find that 
the walls is all that is left of the castle, which was 
accidentally burnt in 1811. 

The hill to which every newly-crowned King 
of Hungary repairs, on which he menacingly 
waves his sword to north, south, east, and west, 
defying the enemies of his country, and which 
Bradshaw tells us is outside the town, is no¬ 
thing but a small mound with ornamental stone¬ 
work balustrades, close to the landing-place and 
the bridge of boats. The country round is very 
flat and ugly, and, the soil being light, perpetually 
dusty in spring. 


47 


Ascent of u the Mountains .” 

We had been invited several times to accompany 
friends, a charming excursion on foot, to see 
u the mountainsand one day we determined to 
accept this offer, and see these famous hills, 
which we had looked for in vain. The ascent up 
the town is steep enough, and only the active little 
Hungarian horses could trot up it as nimbly as 
they do ! We surmounted it slowly, husbanding 
our strength for the ascent of u the mountains 
but we walked on for some distance without much 
exertion in the way of climbing. On each side 
were vineyards, from whose grapes the plea¬ 
sant Hungarian wines are made. They were all 
enclosed by stone walls. Of view there was little 
or none. 

However, we came at last to a summer-house on 
a high bank, and were told to mount some steps 
to the top; when certainly it was wonderful, after 
creeping on between those walls and rows of fruit- 
trees, to see what a height we had gained, and 
what an extensive view we commanded! We 


48 Promise of a Rich Harvest. 

looked over miles and miles of cultivated plains, 
green with the up-springing young corn, amid 
which the broad white lines of the Danube and 
its branches wound for a great distance, till 
they were lost to view beyond the limits of our 
horizon. 

The scene was extremely flat and unvaried. 
There was every sign of industry in the fields, 
which wore the glad garb of spring, the thick 
masses of healthy young corn promising to repay 
the toil of the laborious peasantry. The fruit trees, 
too, were full of buds, and promised an abundant 
harvest. 

Ah! little we thought, as we looked down 
on the pleasing scene, that those trees would never 
blossom into summer beauty, and that in only a 
few short weeks the promise of ripe grain would 
be marred by the last struggle of that u unholy 
war in which German fought against German.” 
From the fair bosom of that then smiling Mother 
Earth might now arise a host of witnesses 


49 


% 


Be suits of War. 

“before the judgment seat of History, and of the 
Eternal Almighty God, to bring those who 
caused the war to account for all the misery en¬ 
tailed on individuals, families, provinces, and 
countries !” 

However, that is a question for the future to 
settle. 

When I stood there, the earth, reposing in 
thankful peace, was bathed in the glad light of 
Heaven. Fields torn up and destroyed, trees broken 
and burnt, are all that remains to tell how the fair 
promise of that April day has been blighted, and 
a massive marble monument is the only token left 
to tell future years that the summer sun of 
the 22nd of July looked down on the field 
of Ganzenberg Blumenau, when the harvest 
withered in was that of the dead bodies of the 
brave defenders of their native soil, and the rain 
that moistened the earth was the blood poured 
forth, in that unjust and wicked war, not for spoil 
and plunder—“ not for a despot’s name ”—but for 


E 


50 Hungarian Costume. 

the rights of King and country, home and Father- 
land ! 

After we had rested sufficiently, we descended, 
and went to a little tea-garden on the side of u the 
mountains,” where some travelling musicians were 
playing alternately the everlasting u Csardas,” and 
an air from the opera of u Schone Helene,” which 
the Germans seem to appreciate greatly, for 
they have never tired of it this summer. 
Here we drank milk and coffee—some of the 
party even descended to the vulgarity of beer— 
and then wended our way back to the house 
with the unpronounceable name. 

The thing that strikes a foreigner most forcibly 
in Pressburg is the prevalence of the Hungarian 
costume, which all the men, high and low, delight in 
wearing. Tight high waistcoats, very tight fitting 
coats, and knee breeches, all most profusely braided, 
with high Hessian boots, compose this dress, which is 
always made of dark cloth. Some of the peasants’ 
dresses were much more picturesque, especially on 


Sheepskin Coat. 51 

Sundays or fete days, when the people from the 
country came in. 

As the wind some days was blowing very 
keenly, the winter sheep-skin coat had not been 
laid aside by all. It must be a very comfort¬ 
able garment, and really I used to envy some of 
the women, they looked so warm in it. It is also 
extremely picturesque. The reader must not 
fancy an Icelandic looking coat of rough skins, 
without shape or trimming. The description of 
one of these garments which I saw, will show that 
a great deal of taste is exhibited in their prepara¬ 
tion. The sheepskin was very white and soft- 
looking, and the jacket made from it was of rather 
a close-fitting shape. It was lined with scarlet, 
and the lappets in front and behind were fastened 
back with very thick braid, to show the bright 
colour of the lining;. The same coarse braid 
ornamented the sleeves and throat. I felt a 
great wish to buy the coat from the fair wearer, 
but it occurred to me in time that I might get more 


52 


Old Meadow-wood. 


than I bargained for, in the persons of certain round 
flat insects, whose appearance does not strike the 
Hungarians with the intense disgust that we affect 
when we unfortunately come into contact with 
them. 

Our favourite walk, after our early dinner, was 
over the bridge of boats to the public gardens on the 
other bank of the Danube. They are in the same 
style as Kensington Gardens in London, only 
much more extensive and with more underwood. 
On the outskirts they extend into wild woods and 
fields of considerable size. The cultivated part is 
called the New, and the rough the Old Meadows 
or Woods. In the Old Meadow-wood the wild 
flowers are most luxuriant, and the thickets are 
full of lilies of the valley, the white asphodel, a 
large variety of which is very pretty, and the 
deceitful blossoms of the wild garlic, which look 
so pure, white, and innocent, till you attempt 
to pick them, when the disagreeable garlic 
smell betrays their real nature. There is also a 


New Mectdoiv-wood. 


53 


very graceful shrub, a sort of wild bird cherry, 
frequent here, and several other flowering shrubs, 
with white blossoms. It was curious, indeed, that 
all the spring flowers were white. A month earlier 
the ground must have looked like snow with the 
wild wood anemones. 

The New Meadow-wood, which was kept very 
neat and trim, with broad walks and terraces bor¬ 
dered with flower-beds, as I said before, reminded 
me much of Kensington Gardens ; but the nightin¬ 
gales sing in these Hungarian trees in a way that 
no nightingale has sung in London in the memory 
of the oldest inhabitant. All day long and late 
into the evening we used to hear them in hundreds 
answering each other from the depths of the glades 
of thorn and underwood. 

Most of the population of Pressburg turn out in 
thefine evenings towanderin these beautiful woods; 
rich and poor, counts and tradespeople, officers 
and soldiers, all seeming to enjoy their rambles 
here. 


54 Spring in Hungary. 

It is wonderful to any one accustomed to our 
bleak springs, with their disappointing May days 
and chilly June evenings, how marvellously fast 
the spring in Hungary comes on. When once the 
cold winds in April were over, there seemed a lull 
in nature for a few days, and then the sun exerted 
its power to some purpose, as you could almost hourly 
see the fresh green leaves and bright flowers expand¬ 
ing. The song of the spring birds, too, seemed to 
fill the air in the glad sunshine. Late in April the 
days were so warm that we used to take our work 
and sit out in the meadow wood, as in July in 
England. 

One very soft warm evening, a large party of us, 
English and Hungarians, had been tempted to 
remain out very late, listening to the nightingales, 
and finishing by drinking coffee at the pavilion 
near the race-course. On returning by the long 
bridge of boats over the Danube, the scene 
appeared so beautiful, that we stopped to look at 
the glorious full moon shining on the river. 


55 


Foreign Impressions of England. 


u Ah !” said a Hungarian lady, looking pityingly 
at me, u in England, I suppose, you never see a 
moon like that V’ 

All her companions, who were apparently of 
the same opinion, united in a murmur of sym¬ 
pathy. In vain I assured them that we had a 
moon in England, and that during the harvest 
season it was so bright that it was almost warm 
in the moonlight! They listened politely, but 
I saw they did not believe a word of what I 
said. 

It is marvellous how fully all foreigners are im¬ 
pressed with the firm conviction that we unhappy 
English live in a land of almost total darkness. 

c) 


Once or twice in the height of summer they 
suppose we may see a pale, cold sun ; but for 
months together they are convinced that we 
are in a state of gloomy darkness, from the 
eternal fogs that always overhang this dreary 
island. 

I have explained (with strong efforts at keeping 


56 Climate of England. 

my temper) that we have lovely bright weather in 
England, and that in Kent especially it is very 
sunny all the vear. On the authority of Sir John 
Herschell, I could assure them that one spot in 
Kent had an unusual quantity of sunshine to 
bless it, even in winter. In our home garden the 
camellias and myrtles, I knew, lived all the year 
round out of doors, without any protection. The 
gardens of the Archdeacon of Canterbury, near 
Hythe, I told them, were like a dream of fairy-land 
in June, with their glowing masses of camellias, 
azaleas, and other tender shrubs which had lived 
out all winter. They might believe the facts I 
had stated, but they put on them their own inter¬ 
pretation. We might possess all these floral 
beauties, but it was necessary, even in June, if we 
wished to see them, to grope our way with lanterns 
through a thick impervious fog ! 

I always have an unpleasant idea, when they 
talk to me of our climate, that they feel as I should 
do if I were conversing with one of those creatures 


Light Costume. 57 

who people one of the planets described by some 
astronomers as being enveloped in such a dense mist 
all the year round, that nothing flourishes on it 
but mildew and green mould. One thing I have 
always noticed, that foreigners almost invariably 
come to England in November, a month in which 
they may not find that great centre of attraction— 
London—very bright. 

The spring is certainly very trying in England; 
and it is seldom that in May we can sit out of 
doors and enjoy it as we did at Pressburg. The 
costume of the villagers, too, in May, would have 
been rather light for England ; but it was charm- 
ing here, and so picturesque—a snowy white shirt, 
with bright scarlet braces, and very broad belt of 
the same colour round the waist; a dark coat, with 
heavy silver buttons hung over one shoulder; 
short olive green or brown breeches, with Hessian 
boots; and a round Spanish Matador-looking 
hat, with a bunch of long floating ribbons, and 
a plume—generally a tuft of heron’s feathers, 


58 


Green Tree Hotel. 


but occasionally the feather of a peacock’s tail, 
which they wore almost straight up its full 
height. 

We dined every day at the u Green Tree Hotel,” 
the cookery of which was excellent—the best, I 
think, that I ever met with in Germany. We had 
an excellent soup sometimes—clear gravy, with 
plovers’ eggs in it. The fish, too, was very good, 
sturgeon, salmon, and other large fish that we did 
not know the names of. I must not forget the 
tea either, which was delicious — iC Caravan tea,” 
enormously dear, but so delicate in flavour! 
Caviare, and other Russian delicacies, were very 

As we used generally to dine a little later than 
most of the Pressburg people, we had the room 
almost to ourselves; but one day Herr Paluqua} r , 
the civil landlord, told us that a band of gipsies, 
or u Cziganies,” as they are called, were coming to 
play in the dining saloon, and we therefore agreed 
to go to supper at nine. 



59 


Austrian Officers at Dinner. 

When we entered at that hour, the room was 
crowded with Austrian officers! We retreated 
hurriedly, not liking to be the only ladies; but Herr 
Paluquay came to our rescue, and assured us that 
there were several of the wives of the officers pre¬ 
sent. We therefore re-entered, and when our eyes 
became accustomed to the smoke, we found it was 
so. 

The long table next to ours consisted of thirty- 
two officers of one regiment; the colonel and his 
wife sitting at the head—the lady fully occupied 
eating her dinner—never speaking to any of the 
officers, but, as they dropped into their places, 
raising her eyes from picking her chicken-bones 
(in her fingers, by-the-by), and just returning 
their salute. They came in one after another, and 
each chose his dinner from the bill of fare, accord¬ 
ing to fancy. There were numbers of officers of 
other regiments in the room, but they all seemed 
to keep to their respective tables. 

In the middle of the evening, the Prince of 


60 Czigany Band. 

Tour and Taxis came in, when all the officers rose 
from their seats, and remained standing till he 
was seated. He is a tall, grim-looking man, and 
still wears a shade over one eye, the sight of which 
was destroyed by a sword-cut in the revolution in 
Hungary in 1849. 

The Czigany band consisted of about seven 
men, dressed in dark Hungarian costume, and look¬ 
ing very like third-rate strolling musicians at some 
English watering place, only fiercer and dirtier. 
Their music was mostly national. They gave with 
great enthusiasm the “ Rakotski March,” which of 
course all Hungarians delight in, as it was so long 
forbidden, being named in honour of the revolution¬ 
ary leader Rakotski. This enemy of oppression took 
up arms against the Austrian Government at the 
end of the seventeenth century, at the instigation of 
Louis XIY. of France, who, possessing the wis¬ 
dom of the serpent, left him eventually to his fate. 
The Hungarian music has a harsh, jerking, wail¬ 
ing sound. My Hungarian-English friends will 


A Noblemaii s Castle . 


61 


be surprised when I say it reminds me of Scotch 
national music. 

We drove a long way into the country one day, 
to see a really national Hungarian noblemans 
castle and a village, some distance out of Press- 
burg. The road to it was singularly uninteresting, 
deep in sandy dust, and passing through flat plains 
of light soil, thickly sown with upspringing corn. 
A few stunted pollard trees on each side formed 
the only shelter against the burning sun which 
poured down its rays that day. 

The house we came to see was of rather a 
fantastic style of architecture, but extremely 
comfortable inside, furnished just like an Eng¬ 
lish residence. The walls were hung with many 
of Landseer and Andsdell’s engravings, and in the 
boudoir was a portrait of poor Lady Clementina 
Villers. 

The drawing-room tables were covered with 

O 

pretty knick-knacks and nicely-bound books. 
The grounds, varied and extensive, con- 


62 Military Servants . 

sisted of pleasure-grounds, gardens, a small, 
nicely-planted wood, and a sheet of water, with 
the proper accompaniment of a bridge and water¬ 
fall. The flower-beds were nicely kept, but the 
lawns were composed of the usual foreign substitute 
for turf, viz., rank coarse grass. 

We were attended and shown over the house 
and grounds by two of the servants of the owner, 
dressed in their usual gorgeous hussar livery, with 
enormous silver spurs, which they clanked and 
jingled dexterously at every step. When we 
stopped to look at pictures, or turn over the books, 
they also stopped, and drew themselves up with 
soldier-like precision, never moving an inch from 
the attitude they first assumed, though we must 
have tried their patience extremely. 

We went to the top of one of the towers, but 
the look-out over the flat, uninteresting plains 
of that part of Hungary was frightful. The 
small village church was nearly opposite the house, 
and a bird’s-eye view we had of the village was 


Hungarian Villages . 63 

very curious, the houses all standing in regular 
rows which diverged from the centre like rays. 
This village, Baron 0——- assured us, was the 
exact type of every one that you see in Hun¬ 
gary; very clean, but frightfully ugly. The 
streets are wide, and perfectly even, but all 
the houses facing into their own particular 
gardens, each street is composed of side-gables, 
without a window. A dazzling coat of white¬ 
wash spread over cottages and walls gives one 
an unpleasant idea that the place has been under 
strict supervision in consequence of the visit of 
some unwelcome fever, or other contagious 
disorder. Altogether, the villages in Hungary 
are indescribably dull and dreary. There is 
nothing picturesque in them—no cottage- 
windows full of flowers—no doors open, with 
children playing about, or neighbours chatting, 
nothing but the ugly white gables giving one a 
chilly impression of the cold shoulder. 

When w T e stopped at the only inn in the place, I 



64 Explanation of an Old Story. 

mistook for the public fountain or well, what turned 
out to be the public slaughtering-place, opposite 
the windows of the only house which faced the 
street. We stopped at the inn, as we heard the 
sounds of the Csdrdas, which I wished very much 

to see danced. Baron C-went in to find out 

if w r e could see it, but came back assuring us that 
the room, which -was very crowded, was so full 
of overpowering tobacco smoke, that he advised 
us not to attempt it. Feeling sure he was the best 
judge of an Hungarian atmosphere, we reluctantly 
consented to give up the pleasure we had 
anticipated. 

I drove away from this village with a just 
appreciation, at last , of a tale which used to thrill 
me with horror as a child, and gave me a bad 
impression of the Hungarians. It was the story 
of a young man, who, pursued by a pack of 
starving wolves, rode through a village of Hun¬ 
gary without a window or door opening to save 
him, and whose horse’s bit and stirrups alone 



A Cry for Help. 65 

were found next morning. But, of course, if all 
the windows looked awav from the streets, and 
there were only blank walls to be appealed to, the 
cry for help might very naturally have been made 
in vain. 


F 





Chapter IV. 

THEBEN—THE MARCHFELD—BEAUTIFUL SPECIMENS OF JEWELRY 
—GANSERNDORF—BRUNN—MORAVIAN SAUSAGES—PRAGUE 
—THE “ GOLDEN ANGEL ”—HUSSARS—THE “ WIT ” OF THE 


REGIMENT— HORSES FOR MILITARY SERVICE 


“ Now, in travelling, we multiply events, and innocently. 
We set out, as it were, on our adventures, and many are 
those that occur to us, morning, noon, and night. Our 
prejudices leave us, one by one. Our benevolence extends 
itself with our knowledge.” 


69 


CHAPTER IV. 

^NOTHER day we took our luncheon and 
started rather early by one of the river 
steamers to sketch the rock and ruins at Theben. 
It was early in my stay at Pressburg, whilst the 
cold winds were still blowing, and we found them 
most cuttingly keen. As the east wind was blowing 
strong up the river, we crept into the lee of some 
bushes to do our sketch of the beautiful rugged 
rock, which stands at the confluence of the March 
and the Danube. We little thought, then, that 
only a few weeks later the Marchfeld would be¬ 
come a never-to-be-forgotten name in Austria’s 
history. The last-fought battle of the victorious 
Prussians took place there, and was only stopped 
by the circumstance that the hour of truce arrived 
in the middle of the engagement. 


70 


Theben. 


Before we left there was great excitement in 
the little village of Theben, small boats putting off 
hurriedly, and rowing in hot haste up the river 
March. The boatmen had scarcely time to 
answer our inquiries, but the cause of the excite¬ 
ment proved to be that a flock of lambs had fallen 
into the river, and these boats had gone to the 
rescue. We made a strong resolve to eschew 
lamb at dinner for some days to come. 

We had to wait till rather late for the steamer, 
and amused ourselves by wandering over the 
village. I had not been long enough from Eng¬ 
land not to find interest and amusement in every¬ 
thing, where all was so new and strange. A long 
train of low waggons came along the valley of 
Marchfeld, drawn by splendid teams of fine grey 
oxen, driven by Hungarian peasants, in their 
fur coats, and guarded by an extremely drunken 
policeman, who gave us a military salute with 
absurd attempts at gravity, very nearly upsetting 
one of us in his attempts to preserve his equilibrium. 


My Vis-a-vis . 71 

At sunset the cows of the village came running 
in from the hills and meadows round, each mak¬ 
ing for its respective home. I could not but 
admire their instinct, though I was rather alarmed 
by the presence of so many of these animals scam¬ 
pering about; but 1 took the precaution to en¬ 
sconce myself behind the wicket-gate of a pretty 
little cottage garden, and I congratulated myself 
when most of my four-footed enemies had passed 
safely by on the other side of the fence. At last, 
one ferociously-horned creature—except foV these 
formidable appendages the personification of gen¬ 
tleness—stopped exactly opposite my place of 
refuge. I urged it to go further, but it per¬ 
sisted in keeping its position ; and there we stood 
vis-a-vis, the cow on one side of the gate and I on 
the other. At last a young woman passing called 
out, u The cow wants to get home!” Impossible, 
I thought, through this garden. However, as I 
felt there was something ridiculous in my position, 
I opened the gate with a beating heart, and the 


72 


The Stars. 


cow very quietly walked steadily down the path 
into a shed at the back. No cow in England, I 
feel sure, would have found itself in such a 
position without turning to have a munch at some 
pet stock or wallflower; but the Hungarian cows 
are evidently a superior race of animals. 

As the village by this time was swarming with 
cattle, I suggested to my companion that we should 
go and sit on the little pier till the steamer arrived. 
We found this a pleasant change, as, except for the 
splashing of the Danube as it hurried past, and the 
never-ceasing song of the nightingales on the op¬ 
posite bank, the place was perfectly quiet. We wait¬ 
ed some time—till it was nearly dark, and the stars 
began to come out. I never see these luminaries 
now without thinking of a lovely evening in Bo¬ 
hemia two years ago, when, while waiting at a 
small station for the train, a friend who was with 
me, talking about the stars which were shining 
brilliantly overhead, was addressed by a German, 
who, in broken English, said, as he pointed up to 


Steamers on the Danube. 


73 


the milky way, u And that in England you call 
Milk Street! ” 

I have never called it any other name since. 

At last the welcome lights of our steamer ap¬ 
peared in the distance—when we had already begun 
to wish we had brought more food with us—and 
we gladly entered the ferry-boat and waited in the 
centre of the river for her. She proved to be one 
of those large Danube steamers which in ten days 
go all the way from Vienna to the Black Sea, 
travelling only by day, and thus enabling one to 
see the beautiful scenery of the river. These 
steamers are very large and comfortable, with 
handsome dining saloons on the poop, and 
comfortable cabins. From the seats and awn¬ 
ings on the top of the saloon, you can have 
an excellent view as you pass along. Early 
spring, or late in the autumn, is the best time 
for a journey of pleasure, as the insects which 
swarm during summer, on the banks of the 
Danube, must be a serious annoyance. We were 


74 


Hungarian Jewelry. 


told that Pressburg, in hot weather, was almost un¬ 
bearable from them; and, indeed, before we left, 
we noticed several very curious specimens of the 
creeping kind, and the midges danced in thousands 
over the bridge of boats. 

We purchased some beautiful specimens of old 
Hungarian jewelry in Pressburg, thanks to a 
friend who lived in the town, and understood where 
to find such things. We even procured some which 
had never been in a traders hands—white 
and black enamel earrings, set with river pearls 
and amethysts, the property formerly of the Ester- 
hazy family; and a beautiful Sevigne, also in black 
enamel, wrought in the centre into the figure of a 
pelican, with its young one, the blood trickling 
from the breast of the parent bird being represent¬ 
ed by a garnet, and the whole trinket terminating 
in a small green frog. This belonged to the fami¬ 
ly of the Hunyades. These, with some other ob¬ 
jects of interest, are now in the loan museum at 
South Kensington. One of the friends I was stay- 


Precious Trinkets. 


75 


ing with also bought a beautiful set of turquoise, 
set in black and gold. 

We were so extravagant, that we had serious 
misgivings as to the necessity of walking to Bohe¬ 
mia rather than going by train; but when we 
looked at our boxes, we saw that there was no 
alternative. It would have been a great want of 
taste and judgment on our part if we had failed 
to secure these wonderful specimens of Venetian 
jewelry—a consideration which quite restored 
our self-satisfaction. Since my return to Eng¬ 
land, I have found no reason to alter that opinion, 
antiquarians and judges praising these trinkets 
very much, and opening their eyes in wonder at 
their cheapness. 

It was getting very hot and extremely dusty 
when we left Pressburg. I cannot say I re¬ 
gretted it—for were we not going back to our dear 
Bodenbach! We had proposed returning to Vienna, 
and spending a few days there to see the sights; 
but our extravagance in the purchase of jewelry 


76 A Strange Purchase for Passengers. 

decided us against returning to that tempting spot, 
remembering the old maxim, not to burn the 
candle at both ends! So we stepped out of the 
Pestli train at the junction at Ganserndorf, and 
with stoic fortitude watched it steam away to 
Vienna. 

We had to wait for an hour for the express, 
which, like the one from Trieste, only runs on Tues¬ 
days and Saturdays, doing the 251 miles between 
Vienna and Prague in about ten hours, at the rate 
of twenty-five miles an hour. We got a very 
respectable dinner in the refreshment-room, and 
afterwards, when one of my companions had a 
cigar on the platform, we made friends with some 
old peasant women, who were sitting patiently 
there, with large baskets of very fine seakale for 
sale. 

It struck us as very extraordinary that people 
on a journey should buy such things. One can 
understand the purchase of fruit and flowers, 
but for passengers to load themselves with heavy 


Briinn. 


77 


heads of seakale, seems very absurd. These poor 
women complained sadly of bad times, and the 
scarcity of money; but 1 never yet met anyone in 
any country who allowed that the times were good 
and money plentiful. The good time is always 
coming, and, it may be, the money with it! 

The country through which the railway runs in 
Austria Proper is singularly uninteresting and flat, 
though highly cultivated, exhibiting every sign of 
laudable industry, but not pretty. When we 
enter Moravia it becomes much more • interesting, 
reminding one very much of Derbyshire, near Mat¬ 
tock—just the same pleasant-looking fir-glens, with 
streams running through them, broken bits of 
rock, and bright green meadows. 

At Briinn we had to wait a little time for some 
troops to be taken in. In the capital of Moravia, 
we were guilty of such a disgracefully vulgar 
act, that if'the doors of society had been closed 
against us we could not have complained. There 
was a very neat tidy Moravian going up and 


78 Moravian Sausages. 

down the platform with a bright clean sauce¬ 
pan, full of small delicate-looking sausages, 
steaming hot! Several of the passengers and 
railway men who had bought some began eating 
them; and one of my friends, who had been in¬ 
tently examining them through her eye-glass, 
remarked— 

“ They look excellent ! Are you not very 
hungry ?” 

The suggestion was sufficient, for one always is 
hungry travelling. A fragile-looking string of 
these dainties was quickly handed in at the carriage 
window, and—shall I confess it ?—eaten in our 
fingers ! I am sorry to say, even the guard 
laughed, we looked so greedily pleased with our 
treat. Our only excuse was that they were so 
delicious—so hot—so delicate (not larger than one’s 
finger), and so full of gravy! 

I have not made up my mind to this day w T hat 
they were composed of. I think, however, nothing 
objectionable, as though Bradshaw tells us that a 


Prague. 79 

lively trade is carried on at Briinn, it is only for 
woollen things, carpets, &c.—nothing, in short, of 
which the debris could be converted into sausages. 

O 

I make this avowal in order that, if my reader ever 
finds himself at Briinn, he may be sure to look 
out for the Moravian with the hot sausages. 

It was very late, and quite dark, before we 
crossed the Moldau, and arrived at beautiful 
Prague. We found at the station kind friends, 
who had come to meet us. Everywhere in 
Germany I have found it the same. When 
once they profess friendship, they are the kindest 
and most faithful of friends. They n§ver allow 
their own personal convenience to stand in the 
way of their kind offices. Prompt, punctual, and 
untiring in their friendly services, they win our 
lasting esteem and regard, and must ever come 
next in our affection to our English friends! 

On proceeding to the u Golden Angel,” we did 
not find things so comfortable as we had antici¬ 
pated. The people were civil enough, but the 


80 The u Golden Angel.” 

King and Queen of Saxony, with the Princesses 
and suite, having expressed their intention to 
occupy, in two months, thirty rooms in the hotel, 
the landlord had determined to clean and redeco¬ 
rate his establishment, and when we arrived every¬ 
thing was in disorder and confusion. As it was 

0 

too late, however, to hunt for rooms in ano¬ 
ther hotel, we put up with those allotted to 
us, and went down to small side apartments, 
then used as eating-rooms. Two tables were 
crowded with eager politicians, thundering forth 
their opinions on the expected war. 

The attendants were only a decrepit old man, 
and a little boy, from whom we got some supper 
and went to bed. Oh ! how abominably the bed¬ 
room smelt of very strong, stale tobacco smoke. 
It was no use sleeping with the window open, the 
horrible odour seemed to cling round one, and I 
find my entry next morning in my journal stands 
headed, u The ‘ Golden Angel,’ twice tried, is an 
horrific ghost!” . 


The Wit of the Regiment. 81 

I got up very early, as sleep was out of the 
question, and was agreeably entertained by watching 
out of the window (which looked across the street 
to the entrance of some barracks) a number of 
horses which dealers were bringing for selection 
for a cavalry regiment. The horses were at once 
taken inside into the courtyard. I was much 
amused by the guard at the gates—some very 
stern, solemn-looking hussars—who, when any one 
besides the dealers attempted to enter with the 
horses, warned them back with a shake of the 
head, a wave of the hand, or a few impressive 
words. Some more daring spirit, w r ho seemed to 
slight this warning, pressing forward, an hussar, 
with a corporal’s stars and stripes, instantly 
started out of the guard-room, and caught the 
intruder. This man was evidently the wit of the 
regiment, for he used neither force nor strong 
words, but, evidently, a great deal of “chaff,” 
which not only sent his admiring comrades into 
peals of laughter, but made the civilian retire dis- 


G 


82 Horses for Cavalry. 

comfited. Then, with a few cheery words, the 
corporal would return to the guard-room, till an¬ 
other assailant forced him to reappear, and exert 
his eloquence again. About fifty horses, all 
brown, and good strong-looking animals, were 
chosen that morning. We saw the soldiers go out 
on them when we came in for luncheon, and a 
rough, unmanageable lot they seemed, but capital¬ 
ly handled, with much temper and tact. One 
brute, indeed, plunged and kicked in such a way 
that it managed to unseat its rider, whose only 
consolation was a severe rating from his serjeant. 


Cjrajjitr V. 

PRAGUE—BODENBACH—TETSCHEN—CASTLE OF COUNT THUN 
—MANAGEMENT OF CATTLE—SCLAVES—WANDERING CZECHS 
—GENERAL BRANDENSTEIN—DWARF ENGLISH FOWLS— 
MODEL FARM—BOHEMIAN FAIRS—CROATS. 


G 2 


Hold your tongues, both Swabian and Saxon !” 

A bold Bohemian cries : 

If there’s a heaven upon this earth, 

In Bohemia it lies.” 


85 


CHAPTER V. 


*^^E had stayed at Prague for a few days two 
years ago, and had then done all due hom¬ 
age to the spot on the bridge where St. Johanko 
von Nepomuk was plunged into the Moldau, by 
the orders of his tyrant king, Wenceslaus IV. We 
had also seen, and duly admired, the astounding 
height of the council-chamber window in the 
Hradschin, whence the two lords of the Im¬ 
perial assembly and their secretary were flung 
by their furious colleagues, an inglorious tumble 
from which they merely got up, shook them¬ 
selves, and, after the secretary had humbly apolo¬ 
gized for falling on one of them, walked un¬ 
scathed away. We had also wondered at the 
iron ring which St. Wenceslaus had grasped in 


86 


bis death agony, and pitied the saintly victim of 
fratricidal treachery. Lastly, we had been to 
the Jews’ quarter, and had visited the glass-shops. 
In short, we had thoroughly done Prague, and 
enjoyed our visit there extremely. The short time 
we had now to stay we therefore devoted to wan¬ 
dering about the beautiful streets, so temptingly 
picturesque for sketching, either in detail or as 
views, and in which, every time we passed through 
them, we found something new or striking to ad¬ 
mire. The view from the bank of the Moldau, 
looking over the river at the old part of the town, 
with its beautiful towers and quaint buildings, and 
the summit of the Hradschin crowned with the 
stately Cathedral, the Imperial Palace, and the 
various lines of fortifications, when seen in the 
rich glow of sunset, is a spectacle never to be for¬ 
gotten. 

We met, while looking at this view, an hussar 
officer, a former acquaintance of my friend’s, who 
stopped for a long chat with him. Poor fellow! 


Austrian Recruits . 


87 


he looked so bright, cheerful, and soldierlike in 
his spotless white jean coat and close-fitting cap— 
but in another six weeks his young life was over, 
for he died a soldier’s death on the field of 
Miinchengratz. 

Prague certainly did not seem at all encum¬ 
bered with soldiers. They were by no means so 
numerous as in 1864, when so many troops were 
returning from the Schleswig-Holstein war, which 
was just over. Though every one now talked of 
war, there seemed no immediate preparations for 
it, except that the yard of the railway-station 
was filled with artillery-waggons and ammunition, 
ready to be transported to the frontier when 
wanted. 

We left Prague at nine in the evening, and 
had a very tedious journey, without any amusing 
incident, to Bodenbach. We brought from Prague 
to Theresienstadt some war ammunition, in the 
shape of several carriages of recruits. There 
were some sad and tearful leave-takings on start- 

Cl 


88 


Theresienstadt. 


ing, but they got very merry and cheerful before 
the lights of the capital had faded in the distance, 
and, when they were marched off, seemed to have 
cast all care away. 

I remember, the last time I passed Theresien¬ 
stadt, I was very much horrified at two old ladies, 
who were in the same carriage with me, returning 
from a visit to the refreshment-counter with a hot 
roast chicken, which they divided with a clasp-knife, 
and picked in their fingers. After my sausage ad¬ 
venture, however, I felt we were very much on a 
par. It was half-past two in the morning before 
we reached our longed-for haven, the Zum Bad 
Hotel at Bodenbach. We were too happy to feel 
tired, but nevertheless slept soundly. 

The first news that greeted us next morning 
was that war was imminent from Italy, and that 

1/ / 

already the bridge at Peschiera, which we had 
crossed such a short time before, had been broken 
down. However, as Italy was a long way off, 
the news did not disturb the enjoyment of our 


Bodenbach. 


89 


first clay’s return to Bodenbach. We found a 
regiment of white-coated soldiers billeted here 
and in Tetschen, and we much feared they 
would destroy the quiet and retirement of this 
lovely spot; but they were kept so hard at drill, 
that they had no inclination for quiet walks, and 
we never experienced the slightest annoyance from 
the large body of men quartered around. 

And now I must try to do justice to our 
beloved Bodenbach, by a description of its varied 
beauties. I have no misgivings that my pic¬ 
ture will be over-coloured. I only wish I could 
so delineate the place that you could thoroughly 
appreciate it. Towns are situated on both shores 
of the river—that on the left bank is Bodenbach, 
while Tetschen occupies the right. I cannot pretend 
that there is any poetry about the Elbe. Instead of 
being clear as silver or beautifully blue, it is gene¬ 
rally dark and muddy, and after rains, gravel- 
coloured, but it is swift and strong, and generally 
covered with rafts of wood or barges of merchan- 


90 Castle of Count Thun. 

dise. Notwithstanding the railway which runs along 
its banks, the river is still much used for the convey¬ 
ance of heavy goods. The barges and rafts go 
very pleasantly down the current, but it is hard 
work for the two or four horses which they employ 
to drag them up against the stream. A light¬ 
looking suspension-bridge crosses the river, and 
unites the two small towns. It was erected by 
Count Thun not many years ago, and is not only 
very ornamental, but also convenient —how conve¬ 
nient we found later in the summer, when we had 
only a ferry-boat to go over in, the Prussians, 
after the invasion, having caused part of the 
bridge to be demolished. 

The cliffs are very beautiful at Bodenbach—far 
finer than those on the other side of the river, 
where one steep rock stands, on which is situated 
the Castle of Count Thun—a very large building, 
without any pretensions to architectural beauty. 
All the country round, for miles and miles, 
belongs to Count Thun, who, with his family, is 


Count Thun. 


91 


greatly loved and respected by all the inhabitants 
for his kindness and charity. This castle con¬ 
tains a chapel, a theatre, and an armoury. As 
in the feudal days in England, everything belongs 
to the Count. Just below the castle is a mill and 
a liquor-factory, which are his property; the game 
and the fish, also, are his; and, in fact, he is lord 
of all he surveys. 

There are some very fine trees in the Castle garden, 

and the grounds, which are naturally very beauti- 

* 

ful, are well laid out and kept. Oh ! if it had but 

* 

English turf, and English roses, it would be per¬ 
fect ; but there is only the usual rank thick grass, 
and the roses are much smaller than in England— 
perhaps from the intense cold of their winters. 
The Count has a beautiful collection of orchida¬ 
ceous plants, to which several houses are devoted. 
He has a large staff of gardeners. The principal 
one, who has been to England, and speaks Eng¬ 
lish, duly appreciates the climate of our island for 
gardening. 


92 


Tetschen. 


The crowning glory of Tetschen is its castle. 
It has also a church, a large market-place, and 
a town-hall. It had a second large church, a 
very handsome-looking building, but when finish¬ 
ed, the government decided that the town did not 
require it, and had it turned into a warehouse, with 
a large crane projecting from the porch. 

There are several cotton factories outside the 
town, on the banks of a large clear stream, called 
the Polzen, which runs into the Elbe just above 
the castle. But it is on the Bodenbach side of 
the river that the great beauty of the scene lies. 
There you have such beautiful rocks, cliffs, and 
mountains, all piled and tumbled about, leaving 
room between them only for a narrow mountain 
stream, or a winding roadway. The houses that 
are dotted about are very picturesque, and 
like Swiss cottages, with overhanging eaves 
and supports of black timber beams. The 
extensive pine-woods have judiciously-planned 
walks winding through them for miles and miles. 


The Erzgebirge. 93 

These were formed under Count Thun’s direc¬ 
tions, to employ the poor people when labour was 
scarce. The inhabitants can now carry their loads 
of hay or wood, or their baskets of wares, for 
miles, from one village to another, with great 
comfort. In the hot summer one can walk for 
miles without tiring under the delicious shade all 
the way, enjoying the strong, fresh smell of the 
pine woods. 

All the rocks, hills, and cliffs around are 
covered with dark fir-trees, some of them 
of magnificent dimensions. Occasionally one 
comes on a clearing, where the trees have been 
felled, and slid down the hill-side into the river to 
be converted into rafts. Far into the distance 
stretches the range of mountains called the 
Erzgebirge, which bound Bohemia on the north. 
The people who dwell on these mountains are 
most industrious, ancl exceedingly skilful with 
their fingers, making beautiful lace and delicate 
embroidery on muslins or silks. But the Erzgebirge 


94 Management of Cattle. 

are some distance off, and the walks round Boden- 
bach tempt one from straying very far. We were 
very fond of one beautiful path up to a lonely 
trout pool, filled by a little spring, which we used 
to follow up to the source whence it rose, vigor¬ 
ous and bright, from the rocky basin on the shaded 
hill-side. 

From the rocky nature of the country there is 
very little cultivated land, except small patches in 
the valley of the Elbe. There are but few pas¬ 
tures, and these are very small. Most of the 
fields during my first visit were yellow with blos¬ 
soms of the rape seed. There are two or three 
hop gardens in the neighbourhood The people 
take great care of their cattle. They never allow 
the cows to be out in the fields till the autumn, and 
then they are all tethered by the horns in one long 
string, held by some courageous woman or little 
boy. The animals look very awkward in these lines, 
as of course they are placed irrespective of size, 
a mammoth of a cow coming side by side with 


A Cow Upstairs. 


95 


a year old calf. This plan, however, is delight¬ 
fully safe. They never allow cows or cattle to 
wander about the roads or feed by the hedges, and 

when they have to move them they are always 

• 

carefully led by a strong rope. They are much 
used, too, in drawing carts and drays, and are kept 
so closely at work, that they have no time or 
energy for being vicious. Hence abroad we never 
hear of those horrible deaths and injuries by cattle 
which we constantly read of in English papers, 
and have often met with in our own neighbour¬ 
hood. 

The first story that greeted me this autumn, on 
going to see my sister at her home in the New 
Forest, was one of a remarkably pretty white 
heifer which had strayed from the park into the 
house during the servants’ dinner-hour, had made 
its way along the passage, up a winding stone 
staircase into the housekeeper’s bed-room, and had 
sportively lain down on her bed. I believe the poor 
woman’s first thought was that it would eat her 


96 Wandering Czechs. 

best cap, which hung on the looking-glass. A nice 
task they must have had to get it downstairs again. 
In Bohemia our comfort is never disturbed by the 
intrusion of cows into our bedrooms, or by fear of 
their attack during our walks. 

We had a visit one day from a party of 
fourteen bears of all sizes. They were led by a 
party of Slovaks or Sclaves, such a ragged set 
of vagabonds, with some small ponies, on which 
the children were seated amidst a mass of tin 
pots and pans. They were all brown alike, but 
of different shades of that colour, and would 
have made a life-like drawing in Sepia—Sclaves, 
bears, children, and ponies. 

We often met the wandering Czechs, who 
are the principal tinkers of the place. Their 
dress is ragged and brown, but always adorned 
with some bright steel ornaments set in the 
belts and gaiters, strangely contrasting with 
their otherwise untidy appearance. They are 
fearful beggars, but generally carry a bun- 


The Peasantry. 97 

die of tin skewers, a few saucepans, or a basket of 
the utterly worthless refuse glass of Bohemian 
manufacture, for which they ask an enormous 
price. For a wine-glass or tumbler, so crooked 
that it will hardly stand, they will demand four 
times the sum they eventually take. 

In winter, I fancy, the country must be almost 
impassable, as the snow is very deep here, and the 
Elbe frequently or always frozen over. It is both 
a much warmer climate in summer than ours, and 
very much colder in winter. The peasantry are 
quiet, contented, and industrious, but sadly poor, 
and must frequently endure great privations. 
What with cholera, w r ar, and bad crops, I cannot 
think what they will do this winter. The women 
work fearfully hard at field-work, and also assist 
masons, not only mixing mortar for them, but also 
carrying very heavy loads of bricks, sand, and 
water. They are extremely sober. Amongst the 
lower orders, I don’t think I ever saw one drunken 
man, and, certainly, not a drunken woman. They 


H 


98 A Grateful Beggar. 

have fascinating manners, and charm us at once 
by the pleasant, cordial way in which they greet 
us, kissing our hands. This custom, which is 
much followed here, is not only a mark of respect, 
but an expression of gratitude either for some trifle 
received, or for some kind w T ord. The children 
almost invariably kissed our hands when they met 
us. 

I used every morning to take my work before 
breakfast, and sit in the wood, close to the side- 
door of the hotel; and many a cordial greeting I 
there received. One old beggar man especially, 
on whom, when in a liberal mood, I sometimes- 
bestowed a half-farthing, always expressed great 
gratitude. Towards the end of the week, how¬ 
ever, his kiss on the hand made me almost regret 
my liberality, his beard, which by that time had 
had the benefit of some days’ growth, had such an 
irritating, file-like effect! 

Of course, the first thing that every one began 
talking about when we arrived was the threat- 


Austrian Soldiers. 


99 


ened war, which all looked on as very imminent. 
There was, as I said before, a regiment, or part 
of a regiment, of Austrian soldiers billeted in 
Bodenbacli and Tetschen. They were called 
Graf Hangwitz’s regiment, and were mostly Italian 
soldiers. They wore a white tunic, with geranium- 
coloured facings, of cloth in the uniforms of the 
soldiers, and of velvet in those of the officers. 
The men looked, without exception, very misera¬ 
ble. I cannot pretend to say why, though it 
might be because they did not like their officers. 
They did not appear to be looked on with great 
confidence, as they were marched off to Austrian 
Silesia before hostilities commenced. There was 
an extremely gentlemanly captain of this regiment 
quartered in our hotel, with his servant; and at 
the other hotel lodged a General Brandenstein, 
whose aide-de-camp this captain had been at 
Solferino. The General, with whom we 
sometimes conversed, was very pleasant, and 
spoke English extremely well. Pie had at one 

H 2 




100 Dwarf English Foivls. 

time been in command in Carinthia, and fully 

• 

joined in our admiration of it, strongly advising a 
visit there at some future time. He described 
the people as very civil and primitive, and, though 
the accommodation provided for strangers travel¬ 
ling in the country was rough, yet the beauty of 
the scenery quite made up for the discomfort. 
Poor General Brandenstein had a command given 
him, the week after I left, in the army of the 
North, and got shot through both feet in a very 
early part of the war. 

I was making inquiries at this time for a 
particular sort of fowls that I wanted—oddly 
enough called u Dwarf English fowls,” though I 
have never seen any of them in England. They 
are not large, but are very peculiar in appearance, 
having small wings attached to their feet. They 
would be invaluable in gardens, in which these 
wings would prevent their scratching. 

We took a walk one afternoon to the Agri¬ 
cultural College, in the hope of hearing of some 


Model Farm . 


101 


in that direction. Amongst our party was the 
General, who told us that during the Italian war he 
always had several of these hens, which travelled 
with the troops, and on the march used to perch 
on the baggage-waggons, being great pets of the 
soldiers. Since my last visit this sort of fowl had 
quite disappeared. I heard of some at a railway 
officials near, but as the train had just destroyed 
a number of them, he was not willing to part with 
any, and my search for more was in vain. 

The agricultural model farm is a very useful 
institution, for the education and training of 
the sons of gentlemen of all classes and nations, 
and an idle, careless set of young scamps the 
students are! Their sole object seemed to be 
singing, dancing, and getting into mischief all 
over the place. Some of them played the piano 
beautifully, and others had a great taste for 
theatricals, with which they enliven Tetschen in 
the winter. But smoking is their unfailing re¬ 
source. The value of the cigars consumed on the 


102 


Fair in Tetschen. 


model farm must amount to a considerable sum. 

There was a fair in Tetschen on the 7th of May. 
Half the market place was filled with earthen¬ 
ware of the coarsest description ; and the other half 
was devoted to booths, where wandering merchants 
sold bright calicoes, coarse lace from the Erzgebirge, 
and very common embroidery. There was one 
small stand for Bohemian garnets, but none for 
glass, which I was surprised at, as some of 
the best manufactories of Bohemian glass are 
within an easy distance of Tetschen; and some 
of the slightly-damaged or imperfectly-coloured 
specimens, I should have thought, might have 
been brought here for sale. As the Bohemians 
do not wear a national dress, the scene did not 
present any special interest; and except for the 
presence of some of the soldiers, we might have 
imagined ourselves to be enjoying the pleasures 
of a country fair in an English village. 

There was a much more amusing fair in Au¬ 
gust, 1864, which took place in a large field near 


Popular Exhibitions. 103 

Tetschen, called the u Bird’s Meadow.” There 
were a great many booths, full of to} 7 s, cakes, and 
sweets. Some were devoted to pistol-shooting; 
and one contained a collection of wax figures, re- 
presenting a scene out of the New Testament, in 
which the figures were made to move their arms 
and hands, and roll their eyes, while the exhibitors 
recited verses. Another booth contained a col¬ 
lection of snakes and stuffed animals ; and in one 
cage was a little boy, clothed with a skin, and 
with chains on, who was described as an orangou¬ 
tang. He seemed much to enjoy showing off his 
antics to an admiring crowd of children, who, 
no doubt, thought him a wonderful specimen of 
the strange creatures brought from distant lands. 
The worthy proprietor also exhibited a piece of the 
real Noah’s Ark, some of the bread that was 
brought to Elijah by the ravens, and other mar¬ 
vels, which took much amongst the credulous. 
A bull of unusual magnitude proved highly 
attractive to the rural community. Feats of horse- 


104 Striking Scene. 

mansliip were performed in a spacious tent, with 
some rather nice horses. We went down in the 
evening to see the performance. Amongst the 
equestrians was a very small child of about ten, who 
danced and rode, and was much applauded, but 
seemed nervous and delicate. After it was over, 
I went to a booth near, and bought some sweets 
and cakes for her. I found my way to the can¬ 
vas enclosure beyond the tent, and, on asking for 
admittance, a rough-looking man, half-groom and 
half-performer, lifted a corner of the covering 
to admit me, while he called the little girl. It 
was such a striking scene, I wished more than 
ever that I could sketch animals. I must de¬ 
scribe it. The enclosure was lighted by a very 
full moon, shining brightly down. Several of the 
horses were standing about, and the large bull was 
tethered to a tree in the centre. The poor little 
girl, who was in her coarse common clothes, had 
folded up the bright-coloured, shining dress in 
which she had danced, and was placing it in a 


The Little Equestrian. 105 

large trunk open before lier, beside which kneeled 
a still smaller child, who was holding a dim-look¬ 
ing candle to light her sister. It would have 
made such a nice picture. The poor thing was 
delighted with her fairings ! Her first impulse 
was to put up her face to kiss me. I hope it was 
not unkind, but even in the moonlight the little 
visage looked so dirty with its paint, that I did not 
respond very readily. She instantly seemed to 
understand, and seizing both my hands, covered 
them with kisses, and marched back to her trunk 
with her prize. The lot of children in such a 
position, there is too much reason to fear, is far 
from desirable. This fair in the market-place was 
one of very inferior attraction, and only lasted two 
days. 

We heard next day that the Italian re¬ 
giment (Graf von Hangwitz’s) was to leave 
directly, and be replaced by three thousand 
Croats. The day following we should know for 
certain whether it was to be peace or war. If 


106 


The Croats. 


the latter was declared, the Croats would march 
the following week to Dresden ! All this was 
very exciting news. 

The arrival of the Croats was not looked for¬ 
ward to with any particular enthusiasm, for they 
are more disliked and dreaded by the population 
than even the Prussians! And no wonder—for 
they are as lawless and turbulent a body of men 
as can well be met with. They are of powerful 
build, and the most arrant thieves in the world. 
Even in the shops a party of them will enter, and 
while one or two keep the owners engaged in talk, 
the rest will help themselves to what they fancy. 
They have also the character of being very violent 
and quarrelsome. The Austrian Government 
showed during the war that they understood the 

disposition of their troops by keeping the Croats 

/ 

in Vienna, and the large towns, where the police 
are numerous and vigilant; while the regiments 
which were not thoroughly to be depended on, 
were sent out of the way of the fighting to guard 


Disposal oj Austrian Troops. 107 

some distant frontier, where the enemy were not 
expected in such strength as on the borders of 
Bohemia. 











Cljiiptcr VI. 

DRESDEN—ANTICIPATIONS OF WAR—THE STREETS—PUBLIC 
OPINION—RUMOURS—THE CITY DESERTED—STATE OF FEEL¬ 
ING AMONG THE SAXONS—DETERMINE TO LEAVE DRESDEN—• 


A USEFUL BOOK—HINTS ON ETIQUETTE. 


“ Heaven from all creatures hides the book of fate, 


All but the page prescribed, their present state!” 


CHAPTER VI. 


the 9th I left Boclenbach. I was very sorry 
to go, though I was cheered by the hope of a 
speedy return with the friend whom I was now go- 
ing to stay with in Dresden. The railway is beau¬ 
tiful all the way through Saxon Switzerland- 

well-known and always admired. J-, who 

met me at the station, tried in vain to persuade 
me that there was no cause to anticipate war; 
but at the same time agreed to call with me on 
an English family who were very intimate at 
the Court of Saxony, and who would be sure 
to know all the news. Their account, however, 
only confirmed my reports—that things looked 
very dark and gloomy, and that, though at 



112 


Dresden 


present everything was undecided, war appeared 
inevitable. 

Though J-had been all the winter at Dres- 

den, and, perhaps, had got used to hearing the 

events of the day discussed, he did not appear to 

have heard half as much about the war as we 

had in Bodenbach. The weather was verv 

«/ 

cold, quite as cold as an English May, and 
one day we had the discomfort of seeing a 
little snow. 

The shop-keepers all talked very gloomily, and 
if they had not the goods one wanted, they 
frankly confessed they were not disposed to send 
for them, as the less they had in their shops 
now the better. Some of the large establish¬ 
ments were daily dismissing hands, and the 
court jeweller had only reserved the people 
in his shop, all his workmen being dismissed. 
Of course distress was abounding, and the future 
was looked forward to with dread. 

The country people round were getting in 



The Streets. 


113 


their hay harvest as fast as they could long 
before it was ready; and to add to the troubles 
of the times, a severe frost one night blackened 
and destroyed all the young shoots of the vines, 
completely blighting every hope of a good vintage 
year. It was melancholy to see all the tender 
branches of the less hardy shrubs in the public 
gardens and environs of Dresden, hanging scorch¬ 
ed and shriveled as if a fire had passed over 
them. 

The streets abounded in Saxon soldiers and 
forage carts, and artillery were passing and 
repassing every hour of the day. Near the 
principal bridge a pontoon bridge was lying, 
moored just below the artillery barracks. Things 
altogether looked very warlike. 

The Crown Prince had his summer residence 
just beyond where we were living, and mounted 
orderlies and expresses were trotting past all day 
long. The state of uncertainty lasted the whole 
of this month. One day the public opinion was 


I 


114 


Rumours. 


that there would not be war, the next day that 
things looked very dark and gloomy. The day 
following peace was certain, and on the next 
news had arrived that all hopes of peace were 
over, and that war was to begin at once. Then 
came a bright ray of hope. A Congress of 
Russia, France, and England had been accepted, 
and for a few days everything seemed cheerful. 
A regular panic then ensued, and all the salt 
shops were besieged by crowds of customers, 
as, directly hostilities were commenced with Prus¬ 
sia, the salt supplies would be cut off. 

On Whit Monday, the 21st of May, we dined 
on the Bricheschen Terrace with my cousins, 
Mr. and Mrs. Eden. Mr. Eden was attache at 
the English Embassy, and had been all along 
very sanguine in his hopes of peace; but to-day, 
for the first time, he talked of what must be done 
if war was declared: and on his wife asking 
him, “ Do you really, then, think that things 
look very bad ?” he replied, very gravely, 


State of Dresden. 115 

u We must always be prepared for the worst.” 

J-and I considered that we ought 

also to be prepared for the same, and resolved 
to hurry our return to Bodenbach, though 
many of our English friends in Dresden tried 
to persuade us to remain, saying that the 
entry of the Prussian troops would be most 
interesting—that there would be no inconveni¬ 
ence or annoyance—that there would be no 
fighting—and that it would only be a friendly 
visit; a pleasant prospect at the time, though they 
must since have discovered that it was purely 
imaginary. 

At the opera-house at this time there was 
scarcely a person of the higher classes. The pit, 
gallery, &c., were crowded by the lower orders, 
but none of the society of Dresden had heart or 
inclination for amusement. The English families 
were daily discovering what a charming spot 
Switzerland was for a summer excursion, and 
each Sunday, as we gathered at the Protestant 

I 2 



116 Saxon Feeling. 

English church, the congregation became 
smaller, till at last three pews would have held 
us all. In short, the place became most dreary, 
and we felt convinced that we had better 
follow the example of the Saxon army, which 
every day was gathering in Dresden, and on 
the borders of Austria, and, like them, decide on 
a safe retreat. 

It did not strike me that the Saxon people 
of Dresden dreaded or disliked the Prussian 
occupation, which was even then talked of. They 
appeared to treat the matter in a very phlegmatic 
way, and, except for the disastrous consequences 
of war to trade, they did not seem to take any 
interest as to whether King John or King 
William was to be their master. I should 
think there were no people in Germany less 
demonstrative, and certainly towards Leipsic 
they were more than favourably disposed 
towards the Prussians. At last some plain- 
spoken friend informed us that, in case the 


Determine to Leave Dresden. 117 

Prussians met the Austrians on the other side of 
Dresden, and fighting began, the side of the 
square in which we lived would be extremely 
in the way of the firing, and consequently 
would most likely have to come down, in order 
to give the cannon full room to play into the 
city. We therefore made up our minds to retire 
to Bodenbach, where everyone assured us we 
should be perfectly safe. 

On Sunday, the 27th of May, we felt thoroughly 
glad that we had made up our minds to leave, 
printed papers having been left on this day at all 
the houses, asking how many soldiers could be ac¬ 
commodated in each. As the rooms (six in num¬ 
ber) that J-occupied all opened one into ano¬ 

ther, like the domestic arrangements of an ant-hill 
or rabbit-warren, it would not have been pleasant 
to have such guests. Though we did consider 
ourselves very foreign in our manners and cus¬ 
toms, yet we could not afford to lose the last 
coating of rigid propriety on which the British 



118 A Useful Booh. 

female prides herself, and which our soldier in¬ 
mates might have considered irksome. 

There flashed across my mind the thought of 
a small book at home, over which in by¬ 
gone years I and my sister had often had a 
hearty laugh. Certainly a copy of this work to 
each of our expected guests would have been 
most advisable; and I must try to remember a 
few of the rules in these “ Hints on Etiquette,” 
which I am sure would have proved very useful. 

“ It is not permitted but to the chief in 
quality, or to him who hath charge of the fire, 
to stir it up with the fire-fork, to kindle it, or 
take it away, or put fuel on.” 

“ Set not in order at every instant thy beard 
(if thou hast one) or thy stockings.” 

“It is uncivil to stretch out thine arms at 
length, and writhe them thither or hither.” 

“ In yawning, howl not; and thou shouldst 
abstain as much as thou canst from yawning, 
especially when thou speakest.” 


Hints on Etiquette. 119 

“ When thou blowest thy nose, make not thy 
nose sound like a trumpet.” 

“ Do not pick your teeth much at table, as 
however satisfactory a practice to yourself, to 
witness it is not at all pleasant.” 

“ At a strange table, say ‘ If you please/ 
and ‘Thank you;’ it may be said in a manner 
which will not encourage familiarity.” 

“If you are so unfortunate as to have con¬ 
tracted the low habit of smoking, be careful to 
practise it under certain restrictions. What 
man of delicacy would presume to address a 
lady with his breath smelling of onions ? Yet 
tobacco is equally odious.” 

“ Spit not far off thee, nor behind thee, but 
aside, a little distant, and not upon thy friend.” 



Chapter VII 


BAD SYMPTOMS—ITALIAN SOLDIERS—EXCHANGE OF GREET¬ 
INGS—AUSTRIAN CONSCRIPTION IN ITALY—ACCOUTREMENT 
OF THE JAGERS—NIGHT ALARMS—WANT OF BROTHERHOOD 
IN THE AUSTRIAN ARMY—WAR DECLARED. 


• “ Over the hills and far away, 

’Neath the bayonet’s gleam and the banner’s play, 
And the mighty host tread down the grass, 

And the birds are hushed where the trumpets pass, 
And the lonely hills send back again 
The clang and the hum of armed men.” 


123 


CHAPTER VII. 

JTOW glad we were when the setting sun 

shone brightly on us, as we were sitting 

happily at supper next evening on the terrace 

% 

of the Hotel Zum Bad at dear, pretty Boden- 
bach, in the perfect quiet of that lovely valley 
of the Elbe—away from the perpetual clatter of 
the streets of Dresden, made ten times worse 
lately by the constant passing of forage carts, 
ammunition-waggons, and artillery at every 
hour of the day, from early in the morning 
until quite late at night. 

Our pleasure was lessened, however, by find¬ 
ing in Austria how bad everything looked for 
war. Every one talked of it, but still, while 
things here remained so quiet, it was earnestly 


124 


Feld Jagers, 


hoped it was not inevitable. The day after we 
arrived we noticed one very bad sign (though 
good for us), namely, the enormous exchange we 
received on a circular note—for twenty pounds 
we got five pounds extra. 

The weather was most enjoyable, not too hot, 
and the immense pine-woods "were cool and 
fragrant with the fresh spring smell of the young 
fir shoots, and perfectly carpeted with the tender 
green of the whortleberry plant, which is of such 
a brilliant green in spring, and here covers every 
hill and rock. 

The melancholy-looking infantry regiment 
(Graf Hangwitz’s) that was here in April, had 
been sent into Austrian Silesia, and was re¬ 
placed by the 26th battalion of Feld Jagers; 
and though the grey loose dresses of the latter 
did not look pleasing after the smart white uni¬ 
forms and geranium-coloured facings of the for¬ 
mer, yet we soon got used to them, and found 
constant amusement in watching these light- 


Gentlemanly Soldiers. 


125 


hearted, merry little riflemen. They were, like 
the former regiment, principally Italians; but 
the officers and non-commissioned officers were 
mostly, or all, Germans. There were a good many 
Bohemians amongst the men, which was fortunate 
for them, as most of the soldiers could not speak a 
word of German; and where several were billeted 
on a house, they generally had one amongst them 
who could act as spokesman for the party. Every 
cottage and house around had its Jiiger inmates, 
and they seemed immense favourites with the Bo¬ 
hemian people. It really was touching to see 
their gentle, kind ways, like those of very gentle¬ 
manly schoolboys. You never saw them muster¬ 
ing for parade, but that each soldier had one or 
two of the peasant children running by his side; 
and it was especially pleasant at the hour when 
the children came from school—(for here, as in all 
parts of Germany, it is imperative that the child¬ 
ren be sent to school, from the age of six to 
fourteen)—to see them running to meet their 


126 


Their Hard Drill. 


friends the Jiigers, relieving them of muskets, 
knapsacks, and other accoutrements; while those 
children who could not find anything to carry, 
each seized a hand and conducted their tired guests 
home. 

The soldiers had an extra allowance, to enable 
them to pay for their billets; but even the poorest 
of the villagers would not hear of taking any pay¬ 
ment, and cheerfully shared their humble fare with 
the merry Jagers. They seemed to have a great 
deal of hard drill work, perhaps from so many 
being fresh recruits. They were up nearly at 
dawn, and home again about nine. Some had a 
very long walk to join the muster. Then they 
were out again at twelve, and once more about four 
or five—but this last seemed a very short affair, and 
never in full dress. 

The weather, part of the time, in June, was 
fearfully thundery and hot; but hot or cold, fine 
or showery, it seemed all the same to them. They 
would come back through drenching thunder 


Decoration of their Forage Caps. 127 

showers, singing their merry Italian songs, and 
laughing and joking the same as they did on 
fine sunny days. They were not under very 
strict discipline, I should think; at least not like 
that of our soldiers. In their forage caps they 
wore what feathers they chose, and it was most 
amusing to see the variety that love or money 
had procured for them. The feathers of Guinea 
fowls, peacocks, ostriches, parrots, and wild birds’ 
wings were very common, but the favourite de¬ 
coration seemed to be the tail feathers of the black 
cock or capercailzie, the same as those their officers 
wore in their forage caps. The men generally, on 
leaving their quarters, had some bright summer 
roses given them. Every morning, and even on 
parade in full dress, these roses were fixed amongst 
the black plumes of their round hats. 

We had one day a goose for dinner, and I was 
much amused on noticing afterwards one of its 
large white wings decorating the forage-cap of a 
Jager billeted in our hotel. Poor fellow! I was 


128 Exc1ia7ige of Greetings . 

so sorry for him. He was one of the very few 
who were not merry or bright, and I had noticed 
his unhappy face on my arrival. But evidently 
the Jagers had been strictly ordered to keep out of 
our way. They occupied rooms on the floor below 
ours, and if we were going down or upstairs when 
any of them were in the way, directly they heard 
the rustle of a dress, they would retreat as if their 
presence was an intrusion. However, after a few 
days they forgot their orders, and we used to meet 
and exchange such greetings as u Felice notte,” or 
“ Buon giorno, Signora,” with remarks on the 
weather. The corporal in command always met 
us with the Bohemian greeting, u kiss your hand.” 
One day I had a long talk with the unhappy-look¬ 
ing soldier, who told me all his sorrow. His 
father and mother had a small farm near Mantua, 
and he was the youngest of four sons. His brothers 
had all been drawn for the army. Two had been 
killed in Schleswig-Holstein, and the other 
wounded. Three months ago, he had been car- 



Italian Conscript . 129 

ried off, and <s there was no one left with his 
old parents.” His eyes were full of tears when 
he told me this. He hated the army, the war, 
and the Austrians. His whole heart and soul 
seemed bound up in his little home circle, about 
whom he appeared delighted to talk, for he told 
me all about them. He had two sisters, who 
were married, and one had a young daughter aged 
six. 

u Oh ! quite a little thing !” I said. 

“ Oh! no,” he answered, quickly, u not at all 
a little thing, she is very tall for her age, and 
comes up to here,” touching his pouch-belt. 

Poor lad! I often wonder if he will ever go 
back to the old people and little farm at Mantua, 
or whether he has been struck down by that 
horrible needle-gun, and- left amongst the heaps 

J 

of slain on those red Bohemian fields of battle. 

The dress of the Jagers seemed very useful, 
and far more rational for soldier’s work than any 
smarter or stiffer-looking uniform. When they went 


K 


130 Night Alarms. 

on long marches, on the very hot clays in June, 
the tunic was rolled up in their knapsack, and 
only the very loose great-coat worn, which they 
all said was very cool; but they seemed, to me, 
to carry an immense heap of things above and 
below the knapsack, including a small tin sauce¬ 
pan. 

We had one or two night alarms to test the 
activity of the men. After the bugle had sound¬ 
ed, in three minutes they were up, their toilette 
completed, everything they possessed at Bodenbach 
packed up, and on their backs, and they had sallied 
forth. Very quick work. But we would gladly have 
dispensed with these night alarms and early drills, 
for after the merry bugler had come from the 
village above, and passed our hotel, making all the 
rocks echo with his reveille as he went along, he 
would seat himself on a pile of logs on the bank of 
the Elbe, just below, and while the soldiers were 
waiting for those of their comrades who had to come 
from more distant houses, the bugle would be 


Italian Soldiers . 


131 


laughingly passed from one to another, and, 
amidst peals of laughter and volleys of wit, 
trumpet calls, Italian airs, and merry dance 
tunes, would he alternately tried upon it. Un¬ 
doubtedly one great weakness of the Austrian 
army is its want of brotherhood. I noticed that 
none of the Bohemian or German soldiers ever 
joined the band of laughing Jagers, who, fair 
weather or foul, used to muster on the piles of 
timber. The want of a common language could 
not account for this, for the little village children 
always gathered thickly round the Italians, 
sometimes teaching them German words, and 
sometimes begging two or three pinches of 
gunpowder, or a few percussion caps. At the 
twelve o’clock muster, when the women from the 
large sydrolith factory of Herr Schiller came out 
for their dinner hour, many a group of Italians 
was interspersed with the pink-aproned Bohemian 
women, in their many-coloured headkerchiefs, 
who were trying to talk Italian, and be amused 

K 2 


132 Austrian Officers, 

with the lavish compliments of their swarthy ad¬ 
mirers. But, however entertaining might be the 
joke, or whatever was the point of interest, the 
Bohemian soldier always coldly passed by his 
Italian comrade, and the Italians never tried to 
fraternize with their German brothers-in-arms. I 
may here venture to confirm the opinion ex¬ 
pressed by a much abler pen than mine, that 
in the Austrian army, as it was this summer, 
“ the great bond of brotherhood, the stimulus of 
patriotism, was wanting.” 

The officers of these regiments are keenly 
alive to the fact, and it must make them feel 
very nervous about their men in battle. 
Several times the orders which came down were 
read in Italian to the men at their musters. 
They all began and ended in the same style, 
threatening that the first who ran away in battle 
should be shot, and assuring them that the 
Prussians were the general enemies of mankind. 

The officers of Graf Hangwitz’s regiment 


Great Mistake. 


133 


told us that, doubting their Italian soldiers, they 
took every opportunity of assuring them that it 
was the Prussians who had conquered Italy, 
and had already been defeated at Solferino and 
Magenta. I dare say they believed it all—poor, 
simple fellows ! 

A great mistake which, I fancy, the Aus¬ 
trian army, or, at least, our Jager regiment, was 
led into, was to rely upon the bayonet. Surely, 
when they remembered that only two years ago 
they had fought side by side with the Prussians, 
and had seen the terrible effects of the needle- 
gun, it was madness to tell the Jagers that they 
were to close in fight with them, and rely upon 
their bayonets. These bayonets were terrible- 
looking weapons, no doubt—more than half 
the length of their rifles, and very broad ; but 
what chance had they of using them against 
the needle-gun ? 

Amongst the many wounded whom I saw 
afterwards on our journey home, there was only 


134 Good Material Badly Used. 

one who had been injured by a bayonet thrust, 
which had done its deadly work on him, for 
the poor fellow was not expected to live a 
week. One cannot but regret that such excellent 
material was so badly used, for these Jagers were 
wonderfully good marksmen, and were out 
practising rifle-shooting every day. A gentle¬ 
man, who had watched them, told me that in 
an hour, at eight hundred paces, only four did 
not hit the target. What might they not have 
done, if equally well armed with the Prussians, 
even though they had a tardy Clamgallas, a 
traitor in Heinkstein von Helle at the head of 
the staff, and a general without any plan to 
command them ! However, I must go back to 
peaceful days, when we used to spend the long 
summer evenings in rambles through that lovely 
country. 

The rumours of war had effectually fright¬ 
ened away all travellers, and though we were 
told continuallv that rooms had been ordered, and 

4/ 7 


Wandering in the Woods. 135 

that families were coming, they never appeared, 
and we had the place nearly to ourselves. We 
used to wander on for miles through the pine 
woods, picking lovely bouquets of the wild 
flowers that abound in that delightful neigh¬ 
bourhood, but which, perhaps, only those who 
love Nature can appreciate. There were 
among them many of the flowers we cultivate 
in our gardens—lilies of the valley, star of 
Bethlehem, several sorts of campanile, white, 
purple, and red salvias, besides the pale yellow 
evening primrose, with which, in war time 
(when the trains were stopped), the banks, as 
we walked home in the dusk along the rail¬ 
way, were covered. There was only one 
scarce flower, the Pyrola Uniflora , which 
it was difficult to find. In the fir-woods 
there was a dark, lovely-looking trout pond, 
shadowed over with solemn pine-trees, and 
so surrounded by cliffs, that no breeze ever 
found its way down to disturb the perfect calm 


136 


Bodenbach. 


of its black-looking water. The only bright-look¬ 
ing things near were the fringes of blue forget- 
me-nots and green lady-fern; and the delicate 
white blossoms of the graceful Pyrolci Uniflora 
were sometimes, though not often, found. 
The ferns are beautiful round Bodenbach, and 
the natural rockeries with which the woods 
abound, are plentifully furnished with the oak, 
beech, and fragile fern. One longs to transport 
a whole rockery, with its graceful inhabitants, 
to one’s garden in England. 

I think I should almost have been tempted to 
return home when war was first talked of, and 

insisted on J-’s coming with me; but she 

was very determined that the iron waters of 
Bodenbach should cure my yearly enemy, the 
hay fever. When I came out here with her 
two years ago, I had been extremely ill with that 
complaint, but the air of Bodenbach had so com¬ 
pletely cured me, that for a long time after I had 
never had a day’s illness. I was therefore only 



Medical Regime. 137 

too glad to be overpersuaded. When the 2nd of 
June brought the first glorious summer day, my 
horrid old enemy came also, and I feared all 
my enjoyment of out-door amusement was over. 
Dr. Biedermann, however, prescribed for me, 
and for the sake of others who suffer from this 
wretched malady, I shall here give his prescrip¬ 
tion, and the regime I followed. I was up at 
half-past six, and had a cup of tea and a morsel 
of bread. While I was dressing, I drank a 
bottle of Gusselghen water, taking a quarter 
every fifteen minutes. I then went out into the 

woods for a walk till half-past nine, when J- 

was ready for breakfast. At twelve I had a Rus¬ 
sian bath of the iron water, at the bath-house, 
and this, I am convinced, did me the real good. 
The very hot iron vapour seemed at once to 
strengthen my throat, eyes, and chest. As I 
inhaled the vapour, all sneezing ceased, every 
tickling sensation left the throat, all aching 
went from the eyes, every pain from the chest, 



138 Preparation for War . 

and I was well and able to enjoy life for the 
rest of the day. I had long arguments with 
Dr. Biedermann on the uselessness of early rising, 
and of the cold water I had to drink ; and though 
he insisted on attention to his prescriptions, I shall 
always think that the iron vapour I inhaled was the 
really efficient cure. 

1/ 

I think it was about the 7th of June when the 
world of Bodenbach concluded that, though peace 
was not hopeless, things yet looked very bad 
and very warlike, and that we must think of the 
laurels and ovations for the conquerors who were 
to beat back the vanquished Prussians to Berlin. 
On the 8th, the first preparation for war really 
commenced, by an engineer bringing some pea¬ 
sants up to where the railway crosses the high road to 
Saxony on the level, to bore the ground, and find if 
it w T as adapted for mining. This was done as an 
experiment, we were told. In the evening a telegram 
came announcing that Prussia had sent word to 
Vienna that she would at once enter Schleswig- 


Engineers at Work. 139 

Holstein, a step which was considered tantamount 
to the commencement of hostilities, and in conse¬ 
quence of which we all felt very warlike and excited. 

Having left Dresden rather in a hurry, some 
of our letters had been forwarded to us from 
that city. As we had amongst them some com¬ 
missions from friends for china, and other things, 

J- thought it best to go in without delay, 

and do the necessary shopping. So, on Monday, 
the 11th of June, she -went in by train. When 
I went down to the station in the evening to 
meet her, I was able to inform her that our war 
preparations had actually commenced, a party of 
engineers, who had arrived, having begun to work 
actively about a mine, by measuring the ground, 
and making plans and sketches. 

When I went down alone to supper, the only 
occupants of the table-cChote room were a party 
of these men, who were having their frugal meal. 
They all rose and bowed, and did not seat them¬ 
selves till I had taken my place. 



140 


Polite Soldiers . 


The private soldiers certainly have charming 

manners abroad. When J- and I were out 

walking, if we met the Jager regiment march¬ 
ing, the soldiers whom we knew always smiled 
and saluted us. I suppose in England they would 
have been shot for doing so! One day we 
met a detachment on the bridge, each man carry¬ 
ing four or five loaves of black bread slung to¬ 
gether. The loaves of one man became untied, 
from the strap breaking, and fearing they would 

roll into the water, J-and I stopped them, 

and helped the soldier to gather them up. There¬ 
upon, all of them, as they passed, poured out upon 
us every pretty and complimentary Italian epithet 
that they could heap together. Was it not nice 
of them? 

J-brought no news from Dresden. There 

was as yet no certainty of war, for there still 
seemed some hope that, through English inter¬ 
vention or some miracle, the appeal to arms 
might be averted. Things, however, looked very 





A Sketch, 


141 


black and gloomy, and the poor tradespeople 
seemed in despair. 

On the 12th, at noon, the engineers who had ar¬ 
rived began to labour with a will, relays of eight 
men working at the mine day and night for a 
week. The two first nights, when they were on or 
near the surface, they talked so much, and had so 
many spectators, that it was nearly impossible 
to sleep, and I kept getting up to see how they 
were progressing. The result was some valuable 
hints for a spirited sketch a la Martin or Turner ! 
I accordingly took my pencils and drew a picture 
of Bodenbach and the distant hills in grey, the 
silver-white Elbe, and the dark foreground, only 
relieved by the lurid gleam of the soldiers’ 
lights in the mine, against which the passing 
figures of the engineers came out in a very 
demoniacal manner. 

I was glad, when I had finished my sketch, 
that my rest for once had been so disturbed, 
for after the second night they got too far 


142 Signs of War. 

underground for any glimmer of light to ap¬ 
pear. Though the engineers worked very hard, 
they, too, found time to accept pink and red 
roses, and to fix them in their caps. 

And now everything began to be very excit¬ 
ing. Papers and telegrams were anxiously looked 
for, and every man, as he laid down his theory, 
was a Bismark or a Benedek in his own estima¬ 
tion. Parties ran high, and much excellent 
speaking was expended by the village politicians, 
over their evening glasses of beer, on the ter¬ 
race of the inn. All were so assured of victory, 
that nothing less would satisfy them. 

On the 13th we heard that Austria and 
Prussia had withdrawn their respective ambassa¬ 
dors. On the 14th and 15th, the whole dav 
nearly, extra trains were running, conveying the 
Saxon troops, and leaving the coast clear for 
Prussia. 

It seemed perfectly incredible that things should 
have come to such a pass. For several days it was 


Retreat of the Saxon Army. 143 

a most animated scene—trains full of soldiers 

4 

coming out of Dresden, and empty carriages re¬ 
turning to bring more away. They mostly went 
past in covered waggons, but some, belonging to 
the artillery, were, with their gun-carriages, in 
open trucks. I could not help feeling sorry 
for the men. They were only obeying orders, 
but it did not look the right thing to be leav¬ 
ing their country at that moment. Though 
the railway by the hotel was crowded with 
people to see them pass, there was not a cheer 
to welcome them—only a few little boys tried 
to raise a feeble shout, which made the lack 
of real welcome more felt. Here and there in 
the crowd the soldiers recognised a Saxon face 
amongst the railway-men, and exchanged a passing 
greeting. 

Owing to the mine’s being dug under the 
railway, all the trains had to move at a 
slow pace just at this spot, and on Satur¬ 
day, when the royal family of Saxony pass- 


144 


War Declared. 


ed, we- had an excellent view of them—the 
poor pretty Crown Princess, with her face swol¬ 
len with weeping, the Princess George, looking 
proud and indignant, and her children amused 
and unconcerned. 

War had been declared that day, and the 
ministers of Wiirtemberg and Bavaria supped 

and slept at our hotel. J-, who knew the 

latter, asked him his opinion of things. He assured 
her that Bodenbach was perfectly safe, and congra¬ 
tulated her on the secure and beautiful retreat 
we had chosen. 

There was much activity on the Elbe, also, dur¬ 
ing these days. Steamers, towing rafts covered 
with guns and warlike implements, were constantly 
passing. Towards evening came, like spectres, 
barges of gunpowder, slowly towed along by tugs, 
and waiting in broad parts of the river for the 
trains to pass, before they came to the spot 
where the railway runs close to the bank. It 
had been slow work coming from Dresden, and 



Invited to a Concert . 


145 


it was a bright golden sunset when they passed 
Bodenbach. The large dark barges, with 
their black flags flying, looked very funereal and 
eerie. 

The same day our soldiers were fully occu¬ 
pied sharpening their bayonets in the inn-yard. 
It made one shudder to see these merry 
brown fellows singing their gay songs over 
their murderous preparations. There was no 
more child’s play with their bayonets after this 
day. 

About this time the Jager officers asked us to 
a concert they were giving; but the band was too 
loud, and we did not stop very long, which we 
regretted afterwards, as they introduced some 
hussars belonging to an Hungarian regiment, and 
made them perform some of their national dances, 
the very thing that I had failed to see at Press- 
burg. 

The mine being nearly finished, we were ad¬ 
vised to pack up our things and send them from 


L 


146 Dangerous Proximity. 

the hotel, so that, in case of its being sprung 
suddenly, we should be ready to leave at the 
shortest notice. When once the mine was loaded, 
I must say that I felt nervous, especially at 
night. Knowing the inveterate smoking propen¬ 
sity of the Austrian soldiers, I was afraid of 
a stray spark or ash falling. We had also so 
many heavy thunderstorms at this time that I 
used to lie awake and watch the lightning 
flashes with some alarm. The engineers, 
indeed, had a sentry, who always kept guard at 
the loaded mine, warning away all men with 
pipes and cigars. As to the lightning, he cer¬ 
tainly used the most effectual means of pre- 
venting a flash entering the mine by seating 
himself on the sandbags which covered the 
opening. 

Thanks to our friend Herr Garreis, we got our 
heavy things safely stowed away in Herr Schil¬ 
ler’s warehouses ; and that gentleman, for greater 
precaution, kindly placed them in boxes intended 


Prepared for Flight. 147 

for sydrolith ware, packages of which were 
piled upon them. We hardly knew in those 
early war times what the Prussians might do if 
they came. We hoped, however, if they did arrive, 
they would begin by opening the top cases, and 
finding only earthenware, would not pursue their 
search farther, but leave ours unmolested. Every 
night and every morning we used to have our things 
ready for instant flight—not from the Prussians, 
but from the powder mine ; and though we 
could not hope to make so speedy a reveille as 
the Jagers, yet we flattered ourselves we were 
well prepared. 






€\Ipytu VIII. 

OCCUPATION OF DRESDEN—THE EMPEROR’S PROCLAMATION— 
THE RAILWAY—THE SIGNAL PORTER’S LODGE—NIGHT ALARM 
—THE JAGERS—CLEARING THE GROUND—ORDER FOR 


SPRINGING THE MINE—IN DER KUCHE. 


“ Oh ! you who rule the nation, 
Take now the toil-worn hand— 
Brothers you are in sorrow, 

In duty to your land. 

Each one his all has perilled, 
Each has the same great stake; 
Each soul can have but patience, 
Each heart can only break.” 



151 


CHAPTER VIII. 


mHE soldiers were now withdrawn from all 
the houses and hotels; but though, owing 
to this, we were spared the bugles, yet, as they 
bivouacked for two nights on the shores of the 
Elbe and in the streets of Tetschen, it was any¬ 
thing but a quiet time. I suppose they must 
have slept at some time, but long before light 
the chorus'singing used to begin, and go on till 
the early parade. It seemed an unnecessary 
commencement to a campaign, and many of the 
young soldiers were thoroughly tired before 
their weary week of fighting began. 

News came, too, that the Prussians had really 
entered Dresden. It had been privately arranged 


152 A Question by Telegraph. 

by the officials, some time before, that the entrance 
of the Prussians should be made known to the 
Bodenbach authorities when they telegraphed to 
Dresden, asking what were the national colours of 
Saxony. This question had been answered every 
day, as agreed on; but on the afternoon of the 
18th, when the usual inquiry was made, the 
reply came back — u Green and White!” and 
then the Austrians knew that Dresden, its rail¬ 
way and telegraph, were in the hands of the 
enemy. Men set to work at once to break up 
the rails in several places, a task at which they 
worked busily all day. The telegraph wires 
of course were cut between Bodenbach and 
Dresden. Luckily, only the night before, 
all the locomotives had been taken away 
out of the enemy’s reach. We had counted 
forty in one train. We rejoiced to think 
they were safe at Prague; but in a short 
time afterwards they were all in the hands 
of the Prussians. The Saturday before, one train 


The Emperor s Proclamation. 153 

had passed with all the carriages belonging to the 
King and the Royal family of Saxony; and as 
they slowly went by our windows, J-recog¬ 

nised the favourite vehicles of various members 
of the Royal family, in which she had been ac¬ 
customed to see them in the winter, and which, 
only a fortnight before I left Dresden, had been 
carrying them to a grand review of troops just 
outside the town. 

An extra sheet of newspaper, published by the 
Bohemia , on the 18th day of June, contained 
the Emperor’s proclamation to his subjects. 
It was so full of earnest good feeling, that 
I must copy it here for the benefit of my 
readers:— 


“ To my Peoples. 

“ In the midst of a work of peace which I had 
undertaken in order to establish the foundations 
of a constitution which would confirm the har- 



154 The Emperor s Proclamation. 

mony and peace of my whole Empire, and yet 
assure to each state and nation an independent 
interior development, my duties as Sovereign 
oblige me to call on my whole army to take up 
arms. 

u On the borders of the Empire, both in the 
north and south, stand the armies of two allied 
enemies, intent on lessening the balance of power 
which Austria holds in Europe. It is not on my 
part that the causes of war have arisen, for I 
always considered it my first and most solemn 
duty as Ruler, to preserve the blessings of peace 
to my subjects; and I take the most High God 
as my Judge that I have always endeavoured to 
fulfil those duties faithfully. 

u One of these hostile armies, even without a 
pretext, but desirous of annexing portions of my 
Empire, makes use of this favourable moment for 
the commencement of war. 

u The Prussian troops, which now oppose us as 
enemies, were, two years ago, allied with a por- 


The Emperor s Proclamation. 155 

tion of my brave army, and with them had gone 
to the shores of the North Sea. 

u I had entered into this military alliance with 
Prussia in order to uphold constitutional rights— 
to protect a German nation—to limit the miseries 
of an unavoidable war into the narrowest bounds ; 
and, finally, in a sincere union with those two 
great powers of Middle Europe (whose particular 
duty is the care of preserving the peace of 
Europe), to gain a durable guarantee of peace 
for the welfare of my Empire, of Germany, of 
Europe. 

u I had not gone to seek for conquest—I joined 
with Prussia from the most unselfish intentions, 
and aspired to no advantages to myself at the 
Congress of Peace at Vienna. Austria has not 
been the cause of that melancholy succession of 
obnoxious intrigues which never would have 
arisen, and whose first appearance would have 
immediately been settled by the integrity of the 


156 The Emperor's Proclamation. 

allies, had Prussia possessed the same unselfish 
motives. 

u These intrigues arose from a desire of real¬ 
izing selfish aims, and therefore it was im¬ 
possible for my Government to set them right 
by peaceable means. 

cc Thus the serious aspect of affairs was 
considerably increased! But even then—when 
the two hostile states prepared openly for war, 
and it became evident that the understanding 
between them was based upon the intention of 
a common attack on my Empire—conscious 
of my duties as Ruler, I remained in the pro- 
foundest peace, and was ready to concede every¬ 
thing —provided it agreed with the honour and 
welfare of my peoples. 

u At last, perceiving that a vacillating appear¬ 
ance would be injurious to an effective defence, 
and consequently endanger the monarchy, I 
was obliged to make those heavy sacrifices which 
are indispensably connected with preparations 



The Emperor s Proclamation . 157 

for war. The assurances of my wish for peace 
expressed by my Ministry, as well as my re¬ 
peated declarations of my readiness for a common 
disarming on both sides, have been answered by 
Prussia with demands which, if granted, would 
have proved hurtful to the honour and safety 
of my Empire. Prussia demanded our instant 
and entire disarming, not only on account of 
its own interests, but also in favour of that 
other hostile Power which stands on the frontier 
of my Empire in Italy, and for whose peaceful 
intentions no guarantee was promised, nor could 
any be given. All transactions with Prussia 
concerning the question of the Duchies have 
increased the proofs of this fact—viz., ‘ That an 
answer to this question, becoming the dignity 
of Austria, the rights and interests of Ger¬ 
many and the Dukedoms, cannot be procured 
by an agreement with Prussia’s well-known 
grasping policy.’ 

“ Negotiations were broken off, and the whole 


158 The Emperor’s Proclamation. 

affair was transferred to the decision of the 
Bund, and at the same time the representatives 
of Holstein were recalled. 

“ The threatening aspect of affairs induced 
the three Powers of France, England, and 
Russia to invite my administration to a con¬ 
gress, whose aim should be the preservation of 
peace. We did not refuse this proposal; but only 
made the agreement that the basis of this 
undertaking should rest on the upholding of 
established European rights, that the treaties 
already existing must form the foundation of 
this attempt at mediation, and that the peace¬ 
making Powers should not seek for any private 
interest which might endanger the political 
balance of Europe or the rights of Austria. 

“ In the total wreck of the prospects of 
peace founded on these most reasonable proposals, 
we have had revealed sufficient proQfs that these 
consultations could never have ended in the 
preservation and confirmation of peace. 


The Emperor’s Proclamation. 159 

“The latest events unquestionably prove: 
that Prussia now substitutes open viol¬ 
ence IN THE ROOM OF RIGHT. 

“ The privileges of Austria, the rights and 
honour of the whole German Nation, are no 
longer regarded by Prussia as a hindrance 
to its mysterious and increasing ambition. 
Prussian troops, entering Holstein, violently dis¬ 
persed the Diet, which had been assembled by 
the Imperial Stadtholder; and though the ad¬ 
ministration of Holstein had been jointly en¬ 
trusted, at the Congress of Vienna, to both 
Austria and Prussia—yet now was seized 
by the Prussians, and the Austrian garrison 
was obliged to succumb to a power ten times as 
strong. 

u The German Confederacy, startled at this 
unconventional, arbitrary behaviour, decided, at 
the request of Austria, that the Confederate 
troops should be put in readiness. On this 
decision, Prussia, who aspires to be the head of 


160 The Emperor s Proclamation. 

German interests, proceeded on the already 
chosen path of destruction, and tearing asunder 
the bond of German Nationality, declared its 
intention of leaving the Confederation, and 
demanded of (dared to dictate to) the German 
Governments a certain 6 bill of Reform,’ which 
realizes the division of Germany, and finally 
threatened with military power those Sove¬ 
reigns who kept faithful to the Confedera¬ 
tion. 

“ Thus the most unholy of wars, a war 
in which Germans have to fight against 
Germans, has become unavoidable. For 

ALL THE CALAMITIES WHICH THIS WAR MUST 
ENTAIL ON INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, PROVINCES, 
AND COUNTRIES, 1 SUMMON THOSE WHO 
CAUSED IT TO ANSWER BEFORE THE JUDG¬ 
MENT Seat of History, and of the Eternal 
Almighty God! 

“ I go to war with that confidence which is 
inspired by a just cause, and with that feeling 


The Emperor' 1 s Proclamation. 161 

of strength which reposes on a mighty Empire, 
where Sovereign and subjects are alike animated 
by one and the same thought, i The true rights 
of Austria!’ With hearty and strong courage 
I behold my brave soldiers prepared for war, and 
forming the rampart on which the strength of 
Austria’s enemies will be broken; and I meet 
the gaze of my faithful subjects, who with one 
accord are prepared for any sacrifices. 

u The pure flame of patriotic inspiration blazes 
everywhere, far and near, in my extensive do¬ 
minions. The soldiers have cheerfully obeyed 
the summons to join their regiments—volunteers 
are anxious to be enrolled in the army, in those 
countries mostly threatened with becoming the scene 
of war—as many of the population as can bear 
arms are prepared for defence; and, finally, many 
inspired with most noble unselfishness and dis¬ 
interested devotion, have hastened forward to 
mitigate the sufferings and alleviate the woes 
that war must bring. 


M 


162 The Emperor's Proclamation. 

“ There is only one and the same feeling that 
prevails amongst the inhabitants of my kingdoms 
and countries,—the feeling of unity , and of 
strength by that unity, but with a strong sense of 
indignation against such unheard-of treachery. 
It makes my heart sad that the work of 4 Re¬ 
modelling Austria’s Interior Constitution ’ has not 
proceeded far enough to enable the representa¬ 
tives of all my nations to assemble round my 
throne at this serious and important crisis. 
Though at present in want of this support, yet 
the more it behoves me as Ruler to assure my 
Empire that my firm resolve is fixed to insure this 
support for future times. 

“We shall not stand alone in the fight. The 
Princes and nations of Germany, our allies, recog¬ 
nizing that their freedom and independence are 
endangered by a power whose actions are solely 
guided by the selfish plans of an indiscreet desire 
of extending its dominions, and knowing that in 
Austria they find a strong protection and mighty 


The Emperor s Proclamation. 163 

support to the powers and integrity of the whole 
‘ German Fatherland,’ have, like ourselves, taken 
up arms to defend the most precious cause for 
which men can fight. 

“ The weapons of war were forced into our 
hands. Well ! now we have grasped them, we 
neither dare nor will lay them down, until we 
have established the free interior development, 
and secured the power of my Empire, and that 
of the Allied German States in Europe. 

“ But we rest not our confidence alone 

ON OUR OWN STRENGTH AND UNITY. We PUT 
OUR HOPE AND TRUST IN THE ALMIGHTY AND 

MOST JUST God, whom my house has served 
FROM ITS VERY BEGINNING. He DOES NOT FOR¬ 
SAKE THOSE WHO TRUST IN HlS RIGHTEOUS 
CARE. I SHALL FERVENTLY IMPLORE HlS AS¬ 
SISTANCE TO GRANT US VICTORY, AND I CALL ON 
ALL MY SUBJECTS TO JOIN IN MY SUPPLICA¬ 
TIONS. 

u Given at my residence in the capital of my 
Empire, Vienna, June 17th, 1866. 

“Franz Joseph.” 


164 Removal of Railway Stock, 

The 19th was a very peaceful day, after the 
noise of the preceding ones, which had been so 
disturbed, especially during the night-time, not 
with the sound of music, but with the per¬ 
petual lumbering of the retreating, rolling stock of 
King John’s railway. Now all that was over, 
and the only remains of what had been were a 
line of empty engines at the station, which I 
amused myself by wandering round. There was 
only a single English one amongst them, and most of 
them looked the worse for wear, and so ugly, with 
their large, low, funnel-shaped chimneys. No 
doubt these were of least consequence, as they 

were left to the last; but they also disappeared 
in a few days, being taken to Prague, and we were 
then abandoned to the dead, dull calm of suspense. 
There were no more trains, no steamers, no post. 
A very few carriages only came over the hills 
from Dresden, with flying travellers, and that 
was our sole excitement, as even the mine was 
finished, and only the solitary figure of the watch- 


The Signal Porter’s Garden. 165 

ful sentry remained sitting on the sand-bags. 

We found some signs of bustle at the signal- 
porter’s lodge, which joined our hotel. In 

preparation for the springing of the mine, he 
was moving all his plants, poor man ! He had 

such a bright, pretty garden, and took such 

pride and pleasure in it, that it seemed very 

sad to dig up all his beds of blue lark-spurs 

and marigolds, and his young plants of stocks 
and china-asters; but as time was precious, I 
got a large knife, and set to work to help him, 
and before long we had reduced his beautiful 
garden to a muddy wilderness. His standard 
rose-trees he bent down, and covered their stalks 
and heads, as far as possible, with mould. In 
the empty rooms of the lodge we stored his 
plants. The furniture of all the cottages near 
had been removed some days before, and every¬ 
thing was prepared for the expected explosion. 

For two nights there had been rumours that 
Prussian riflemen were in the woods behind us. 


166 Night Alarm. 

A picked party of Jagers (those who had not 
had the luxury of a night on the quays, or in 
the streets) were therefore ordered to patrol the 
woods. The first night they passed, I fully 
thought they had cleverly surprised the Prus¬ 
sians. I had been asleep about an hour, 
when, my window being open, I heard the 
stealthy tread of a large body of men, who, 
moving up the hill underneath, stopped almost 
as I woke. I thought—Now the next thing 
will be a command to surrender, in the name 
of King William, or that excellent Bismark! 
I crept cautiously to the window to know 
the worst, and saw that the lane w r as full of 
soldiers. It was so dark I could not distin¬ 
guish their uniforms, but those just under my 
window were whispering rather loudly. To my 
intense relief, I heard the officer say, in a subdued 
voice— 

“ Piano !—piano !” 

“ The Jagers!” I joyfully exclaimed, as I 


Removal of Timber . 167 

returned to bed, where I was asleep in a minute. 

The next day, the 20th, a detachment went 
up to the woods in the morning, instead of 
evening. It was the sixth company, which was 
under the command of an officer we knew. 

In the afternoon, about six o’clock, thirty 
men came and took up their station just below 
the hotel, on a patch of ground which, the 
week before, had been covered with timber. I 
must say one good effect of the war was the 
surprising way in which every spot about was 
tidied up. Of course, this was to prevent any 
scrap of useful material falling into the hands 
of the enemy. All the huge piles of timber 
which had been on the banks of the Elbe 
ever since I was there, two years ago, were 
rolled into the river, and hastily converted 
into rafts. Men were working all day, 
moving every chip and twig, and the wood 
disappeared like snow under a hot sun, not 
even a stick of fir-wood being left. All 


168 Footsteps in the Lane. 

that was not worth carrying away was 
piled up into feeble barricades at the entrance 
of the railway tunnels. When the timber 
had been completely removed, there was a 
small piece of soft-looking ground, where the 
Jagers could pile arms, and rest themselves. 
After the hard, stony streets of Tetschen, it must 
have been somewhat luxurious. 

Our hours were early at the Hotel Zum Bad, and 
at ten o’clock we were in our rooms. One night 
my dress was just off, when I heard footsteps run¬ 
ning down the lane, and some one speaking 
breathlessly—what he said I could not understand, 
but the reply was an interrogative “ Not really V ’ 
Feeling sure that something was going to happen, 

I hurried along the passages to J-’s room, 

and telling her what I had heard, begged her to 
go down to the sentry on the sand-bags, and 
ask him if the mine was to be sprung. 

She instantly went down, but the engineer 
on duty had heard nothing. 



Ordered to Leave the Hotel . 169 

As she was re-entering the house, she met 
the burgomaster, with an order that the mine 
was to be sprung at four o’clock. When 
the alarm-drum from Tetschen sounded, every 
one was to leave the hotel. Our excellent ar¬ 
rangements now served us well, as we were almost 
immediately ready. 

Herr Garreis came to offer any assistance, as 
the poor hotel-people were much too busy to 
think of us—their poor children having to be 
taken up out of their beds, and sent over the 
river to Tetschen. The little things, naturally 
surprised at this proceeding, went on their way 
crying bitterly. 

With Herr Garreis’ help, we carried our car¬ 
pet-bags and dressing-cases to the bath-house, 
where they were considered safe, and after leaving 
them under the care of my old friend the 
bath-woman, we returned to the hotel. As 
we had spent the whole day before in helping 
to take down muslin curtains, and pack them 


170 


In the Kitchen. 


away, unscrew looking-glasses, remove pic¬ 
tures, and help as far as we could, we had 
now nothing to do but sit still, and glean scraps 
of news from those who came in. At last we 
found it so very cold in the front hall, that we 
begged permission to go into the kitchen, and 
warm ourselves at the stove. The cook accord¬ 
ingly made us up a good fire, and we took 
possession of the nice warm room. 


Chapter IX. 


UNEXPECTED ADDITION TO OUR PARTY—AMUSING QUESTIONS— 
THE ALARM DRUM—A CATASTROPHE PREVENTED—AUSTRIAN 
OFFICERS—EXPLOSION OF A MINE AT CHATHAM—IMITATIVE 
FACULTY OF CHILDREN—MINE ON THE ToPLITZ ROAD. 


“ Farewell to Lochaber, and farewell, my Jean, 
Where heartsome with thee I’ve many days been ; 
For Lochaber no more, Lochaber no more, 

We’ll maybe return to Lochaber no more.” 


173 


CHAPTER IX. 



BOUT twelve o’clock we were disturbed 


by a rap outside the window, which looked 
into the lane, and had a raised pathway run¬ 
ning past it. A very brown .face appeared, and 


J-, instantly mounting the dresser, opened 


the window. It was one of the Jagers, who 
said he was dreadfully cold—might he come 

in and warm himself? “Oh! yes,” said J-, 

“ and have some beer also.” 

So in marched the Jager, and we had to go 
and discover the key of the cellar, as well as the 
way to draw the beer. By-and-bye, others of the 
bivouac finding the warm kitchen better than 
the cold night air, we had the room full of 
them. J- not only gave them all beer, but 





174 The Jdgers. 

she and her maid cut them thick slices of bread 
and butter. They were so pleased and delighted, 
that in the warmth and light they soon regained 
their usual spirits and conversational powers. 

We laughed heartily, thinking how astonished 
our friends in England would have been if they 
could only have seen us in this sanded kitchen 
from twelve at midnight till two in the morning, 
surrounded by large open baskets of crockery, 
all packed ready to. be carried away, with Jagers 
seated on every available place, chairs, stools, and 
even the kitchen dresser—the floor strewn with 
their knapsacks, and their round hats covered by 
drooping black plumes (no roses in them now) 
hanging on every available peg and projection. 

I was sitting over the fire, Gamp-like, with 
my bonnet and shawl on ready for a start. 

Whilst J-and her maid attended to the men’s 

suppers, I gave them lights for their pipes and 
cigars. I also did the conversational department; 
and very pleasant and amusing they were to talk 



Considerate Soldiers. 


175 


to—so natural and simple, like children. One 
poor boy, who had only joined the 26th three 
weeks, came in so eagerly, asking, “ Where is the 
lady who speaks Italian V 9 But he was too wearied 
to talk, and complained much of fatigue. In fact, 
they all said they were very tired of sleeping in 
the streets for nothing. 

I asked this recruit if he liked the thought 
of war; but instead of answering, he got red, and 
the others laughed. All the rest, however, seemed 
eager enough, and showed me their bayonets and 
swords, how sharp they were. It was charming to 
see the delicate, gentlemanly way in which they 
offered money for the beer ; and when they found 
that no payment was to be taken, the vexed 
manner in which, on the arrival of others, 
they murmured, u They feared it was too 
encroaching—there were too many!” One man, 
w 7 ho had had a second tankard of beer, tried to 

pay surreptitiously for it; but as J- and I 

were the barmaids, and kept the accounts, this 



176 Amusing Questions . 

was not easily done, and he had to put his 
money back. The reckoning, however, was 
strictly kept, and paid, much to the astonish¬ 
ment of the good landlord and his wife, who 
had no idea, I believe, of the amount of eating 
and drinking going on in their kitchen, whilst they 
were preparing for the safety of their furniture. 

The questions the soldiers asked us were most 
amusing. When, in reply to the question, 
“ What country did we come from ?” I answered, 
“ From England,” some of them looked as if they 
had never heard of such a country before, while 
others seemed astonished, and asked, “ Why 
were we living in Bodenbach ? Did the 
house belong to us?” “No, it was an hotel.” 
“ Why were we up so late I” “ Because 
there was a mine going to be sprung close 
by at four that morning.” This delighted 
them, as I suppose they thought it looked 
like business. They wondered much why we 
had come from England, and asked, “ Were 


Curiosity of the Soldiers. 177 

not all the English light, with blue eyes and fair 
hair, like the other lady ?” 

It was very odd that, everywhere in the out-of- 
the-way parts of Germany, the people never would 
believe I was English. They could no more believe 
that any English had dark hair and eyes than they 
could believe that we sometimes had exceptionally 
fine days on which we saw the sun. I had to tell the 
Jagers a good deal about England, and the way 
to reach it. They were also very curious to know 
where I had learned Italian. They not only 
willingly told us their own histories, but also their 
names, and where they came from. They were 
delighted when I told them I had been through 
their part of Italy only two months before. 

All this chat served to while away the long 
hours of expectation. At half-past two they 
said they must go, as the lieutenant and the rest 
of the men would be returning from the woods. 
One man, who seemed to be the spokesman for the 
others, came up to me, and after making a long, 


N 


178 


The Alarm Drum. 


speech in Italian, ended by saying that it was 
doubtful if they should ever see us again on earth, 
but whether destiny called them to heaven, 
or sent them again safe home to Italy, they 
should always with love and gratitude remember 
the two English ladies, and the pleasant night they 
had passed in the Inn at Bodenbach. 

A corporal arrived soon after the men had 
left, and told us the lieutenant’s party were just 
coming down the hill. We therefore sent a message 

<n n 

to ask our friend to come in and have some hot 
coffee, which was waiting on the stove. 

At three o’clock the alarm drum began dis¬ 
mally sounding from over the water at Tetschen. 
That was our summons to leave the comfort¬ 
able fire and go out into the night, to see the 
poor hotel, where we had passed so many pleasant 
days, blown into ruins! Going out into the cor¬ 
ridor, I met a tall soldier. Even in the dim light, I 
knew by the height and appearance of his plume 
that it was the Lieutenant. He came into the 


Cofee-making, 179 

kitchen, half dead with cold. I could not 
triumph over the dear Bohemians in their hour 
of distress; but I longed to tell them that I 
doubted if, even in England, the night of the 
20th of June was as piercingly cold as it was in 
Bodenbach. 

The warning sound of the drum still continuing, 

we were in a great hurry—so much so, that J- 

poured out the first cup of coffee without using 
any strainer; but the lieutenant said it was very 

hot, and very good, and he was very thankful for 
it. Though by this time, I believe, the lamp had 

been put out, and the coffee-making was carried on 
by the light of the stove, the second cup was pro¬ 
nounced a great success. However, I had to 
interrupt my friends, and remind them of the 
alarm which warned us that the mine was about to 
explode. The corporal also came hurrying in, 
having awoke to the fact that we were on the very 
scene of danger. So we took leave, hoping some day, 
in happier times, to meet again. How often after- 

N 2 



180 The Anticipated Explosion . 

wards we used to repeat the Lieutenant’s parting 
exclamation—“ In a month you will hear of us in 
Berlin!” 

These were the words with which Lieutenant von 
L-returned to his men, while J-and I, ac¬ 

companied by Herr Garreis, took up our position 
on a rising ground at a little distance, from 
whence we could see the explosion. The time 
seemed endless, for the cold was very keen. To¬ 
wards four all the beautiful rocks and mountains 
round began to assume a bright, soft, rose- 
coloured tint from the rising sun, a sight to be 
seen only at that early hour ! 

All the good people of Tetschen had also turned 
out to see the explosion ; and on the other side 
of the Elbe every little hill and knoll of ground 
had its group of anxious spectators. The Jager 
detachment, which had been drawn up in line close 
to the mine, were at this moment being marched 
away to cross the bridge and return to Tetschen. 
For some days past men had been employed 




Counter-orders. 


181 


sawing away tlie supports of the suspension- 
bridge, and taking out all the bolts and screws, 
so that now it was only fastened together by cords 
and slips of wood. Directly the soldiers had 
passed, -workmen began to cut away these fasten¬ 
ings. Figures -were also flitting about the mine, 
and the match was actually lighted, when an 
express came with orders that the explosion should 
not take place. 

There was a moment’s pause. The engineers, 
I think, were sorry that the mine was not to be 
fired. In another second, they were pouring 
w-ater on the train, and bucket after bucket full 
was emptied upon the cases containing fourteen 
hundred-weight of gunpowder, thus spoiling the 
work of many nights and days. It must have 
cost a good sum of money, too; and where 
guldens are scarce, this was a consideration. To 
say nothing of the waste of powder, six carpenters 
had been employed every day in preparing the 
-wood for the supports and for the boxes. Men 


182 Destruction of the Bridge. 

and horses, too, were employed to draw the tim¬ 
ber ; and there was also a Dientsmann, for two 
days after the mine was charged, sitting by the 
sentry. I never quite made out this official’s 
especial duty—whether it was to keep the sentry 
from going to sleep, or to prevent his smoking. 
However, here was the end of our mine; but 
the express came too late to save the bridge, 
which went down with a great crash, about the 
moment that the mine should have exploded. 

We learnt afterwards that we had to thank 
the major of the 26th battalion for having saved 
us this catastrophe. He saw not only the inutility 
of the proceeding, but the ruin and misery it would 
cause to so many, and used the most strenuous 
efforts with the authorities at Prague to prevent 
its completion. He also objected to the sacrifice 
of the beautiful suspension-bridge over the Elbe ; 
and suggested the removal of only one distinct 
portion, a plan which was adopted. It was 
a great saving of the expense, labour, and time 


An Express Stopped. 183 

which would necessarily have been lavished if the 
engineer major’s plans had been carried out. 

Before I quite take leave of the Major, I must 
tell you that at Koniggratz he had his horse 
shot under him, and was taken prisoner, but 
rescued by his men. Another officer we knew 
was shot dead. His soldiers, determined to keep 
his body, formed round it, and all were shot 
but eighteen, who were taken prisoners. 

While the process of chopping and cutting 
was going on over the bridge, we saw a mounted 
hussar appear at full speed on the Tetschen 
side, and try to cross. He saw the attempt was 
useless, and turned his horse’s head. Once in¬ 
deed he stopped, apparently determined to try 
again, but as the bridge was even then be- 

<D J O 

• 

ginning to totter, he perceived he could not pos¬ 
sibly pass, and slowly rode back. 

We heard later that he w T as an express sent 
to stop the springing of the mine on the Toplitz 
road; but as he failed to cross the river, and there 


184 


Return to the Hotel. 


were no cavalry soldiers on our side of it, at half- 
past four the mine went off in a column of dust 
and earth, seen for a long distance 0 It was 
more heavily charged than ours, but not being 
near any village its explosion did not matter so 
much. 

How the Prussians—when they had swept 
victoriously past us—must have laughed at 
our feeble attempts to stop their way at 
Bodenbach. If the Saxons at Dresden, and 
Benedek with his fine army, had taken only 
half as much trouble comparatively, perhaps the 
fate of Austria might have been different. 

When we had seen the mine disposed of, 
and the bridge broken down, we knew the 
best thing we could do was to return thankfully 
to our beds, glad to think that, instead of every¬ 
thing being scattered to the four winds of 
heaven, even the bouquet of roses on my 
table would be precisely as I left it. At 
this moment, when the rising sun was 


Departure of the Jdgers. 185 

appearing, and the earth began to look 
glorious in its first early beams, on the moraine 
of the longest day, there arose on the stillness, 
from the market-place of Tetschen the solemn 
tones of a mournful hymn played by a military 
band. The sound, heard in the distance, was at 
once so sweet and plaintive that while listening to 
it we felt as if entranced, and for a few moments 
were unable to utter a word. 

“It is the Jagers preparing to start,” ob¬ 
served Herr Garreis; u they always have a 
prayer played by the band before they com¬ 
mence a march, when leaving a town.” 

Light-hearted Jagers!—many a soldier’s heart 
joined in that prayer and farewell, which to not a 
few was the last on earth, as amongst all the Italian 
battalions, who in that brief and deadly cam¬ 
paign fought most gallantly, clinging to their 
colours and officers with unshaken fidelity, the 26th 
were eminently distinguished. Faithfully and 
bravely they did their duty to the country whose 


186 


Wounded Soldiers. 


pay they took, and to the leaders whom they fol¬ 
lowed. 

Many an anecdote we heard afterwards of the 
dauntless manner in which the Jagers plunged into 
the rain of bullets poured upon them by the needle- 
guns, to rescue their wounded or captured officers. 

When the hospital beds were filled with the 

dying and the wounded, and Major -, who 

commanded the 26th Battalion, moved from 
couch to couch, filled with his suffering soldiers, 

from not one did there arise a murmur or com- 

« 

plaint; but as he bent over the wounded men, 
from each and all came the muttered whisper— 
from the lips of men writhing in the death agony, 
whose work was nearly done: 

“ Don’t grieve for us, Major—only tell us 
you are contented with us. We have done our 
best.” 

And these are the men who, the English papers 
tell us, threw down their arms, and shouted 
a Garibaldi!” All the Austrian officers will, I 



Austrian Officers. 187 

think, be very sorry when their brave, warm¬ 
hearted soldiers are disbanded to return to their 
homes round Padua, Mantua, and Vicenza. Poor 
fellows !■—if, in the course of events, they 
should be drawn again in conscription for the 
Italian army, how they will feel the change 
from the quiet, firm, gentlemanly rule of the 
Austrian officer, to the brag and swagger of 
their Italian masters ! As a newspaper correspond¬ 
ent wrote only last week from Venice, “ The 
Austrian, though a perfect officer, never forgets 
he is a perfect gentleman,” and as such, he 
wins the love and confidence of his soldiers. 
With what a gleam of enthusiasm their dark 
Italian eyes lighted up when the names of 
their respective lieutenants or captains were men¬ 
tioned. “Ah! he is kind!” “We would fol¬ 
low him anywhere !” “ There is no one like-!” 

With them such language was not merely talk, 
for, as I said before, .many a soldier sealed his 
words with his life’s blood. 



188 A Prayer Denied. 

During this digression, however, I have left our 
party shivering on the hill-top at four o’clock 
in the morning, listening eagerly to the sad strains of 
the parting hymn, and joining earnestly in the 
prayer that went up to heaven with those martial 
notes, on the early breeze of morning, from the 
groups that stood around with reverently un¬ 
covered heads — u that God would bless the arms 
of Austria.” That prayer has not been granted, 
but in that future land, “ where all is made 
right which so puzzles us here,” we shall be 
satisfied that this denial, like manv another we 
have all had to take on trust, was for some wise 
and good purpose. We felt indeed very sanguine 
and very confident, as the sound of the band, in 
a wild, soul-stirring march, faded away in the 
distance, and we took our way homewards— 
first visiting the ruins of the mine, over which 
the engineers had just finished pouring water. 
The men, with a smile, expressed their sorrow at 
the waste of so much good material. Then salut- 


Engineers at the Mine. 189 

ing us, and wishing us good-bye, with the usual 
“ Kiss your hand,” they jumped into a boat 
(for there w r as no bridge now) which was waiting, 
crossed the Elbe, scrambled up the further bank, 
and w'ere seen no more, while we were left to 
experience the results of Benedek’s mysterious 
plans, &c., or to trust to the mercy of the Prus¬ 
sians. Just now, however, bed w r as our first 
thought, and we returned to our hotel as our 
poor little landlady, with tears of joy, was wel¬ 
coming back her children to the home that w^as 
still standing safe and firm to receive them. 

If the mine had been sprung, the part of the 
hotel nearest to the road must have fallen ; and 
as the landlord had only bought the house this 
year, and had spent much money not only in 
repainting and decorating it, but also in adding 
to it, its destruction would have been absolute ruin 
to him. How sound, too, I slept that night! 
Perhaps I was more nervous than I need have 
been; but I could not help dwelling on what 


190 Explosion at Chatham. 

might happen if the mine were to explode ac¬ 
cidentally. Once, some years ago, at Chatham, 
at a grand sham fight, a mine accidentally 
exploded; and though no one was killed, or 
seriously hurt, I have a vivid recollection of 
seeing soldiers, with dust, stones, and rubbish, 
all flying up into the air together. The Sappers 
I remember worked energetically for an hour, dig¬ 
ging for any bodies which might have been 
buried; and H. R. H. the Duke of Cambridge 
manifested intense anxiety, as first a cap, and 
then a musket, was dug up, every one expecting 
heads and limbs to follow. 

As this calamity had been produced by the 
entanglement of an officer’s spur in the wire of 
a battery, I had still darker misgivings as to 
the effects of an Austrian pipe, or of some of the 
loose gunpowder with which the village children 
were always making trains. 

What curious imitative little beings children 
are, all the world over—very like monkeys ! In 


Imitative Faculty of Children. 191 

England the seaside children are always sailors 
—the land-children are either drovers or plough¬ 
men. In fact, I knew the little son of a 
Kentish squire, who thought his calling was 
decidedly that of a navvy during the time some 
large works were being carried out on his 
father’s estate. At Bodenbach, the little ur¬ 
chins were constantly drilling, or making powder- 
mines. With the wonderfully correct ear of 
their nation, they used always to whistle or sing 
to perfection the various marches and bugle- 
calls of the Jtigers. We were often amused watch¬ 
ing them as they came from school, acting the 
part of soldiers; and when dismissed from their 
mimic drill, inquiring where was house Number 
So-and-so, where they were to be billeted. 

When we had recovered from our “night out," 
Dr. Biedermann advised us to pay a visit to the 
ruins of the powder-mine on the Tbplitz road, 
as it was only an hour’s journey. So, when 
the heat of the day was over, about seven o’clock 


192 Mine on the Toplitz Road. 

in the evening, J-and I started on our walk. 

The road through the valley beyond Boden- 
bach and under the Schneeberg was very pretty, 
but we thought wonderfully long. Indeed, we 
found out afterwards that it was an hour’s driv- 
ing y so about five miles off, and we did not get 
there till half-past eight. The sight, however, 
was quite worth the long walk. The mine had 
been more heavily charged than ours—with 
eighteen hundredweight of powder—and had 
made a tremendous pitfall in the road. The 
engineers had chosen a very pretty spot for 
their work of destruction, on the brow of a 
slight hill, where the road, winding under 
the Schneeberg, was overhung with large trees, 
the torn branches and leaves of which were now 
strewn over it, mingled with large stones and 
bits of rock; while above the ruin the bright 
little fireflies floated about like the lingering 
sparks of the ruthless gunpowder exulting 
over the wreck below. 



Peasant Women. 


193 


There were a good many peasant women and 

children around, and by-and-by two wood-cutters 

• 

arrived. As they said they lived close by, 

*T- inquired of them how long the engineers 

had been digging this mine, and informed them 
they had worked a week at the Bodenbach one. 
But they would not hear for a moment of the 
mines being modern works, and gravely assured 

J-that they were made years ago, when the 

roads were formed. As they looked too stupid 
and awestruck to be accused of u chaff,” we also 
tried to assume the same appearance at the 
intelligence thus communicated to us. 

It was past ten when we got back to supper, but 
a lovely evening, and the banks were everywhere 
covered with the pale-coloured enothera, which, 
from only opening its blossoms when the sun goes 
down, has acquired its English name of u evening 
primrose.” The fireflies, too, were a novelty to 
us. Such numbers of them, glancing in and 
out of the trees, with their vivid blue light, looked 


0 




194 Fire-flies. 

very striking. We used often to see them 
floating over our heads when, later in the hot 
evenings, we took our supper out on the terrace 
of the hotel; but the night we went to visit 
the ruins of the mine on the Toplitz road was 
the first time since the bright hot evenings at 
Malta that I had seen them. 


c 


Chapter X. 

RAPID MOVEMENTS OF THE PRUSSIANS-MY OLD BATH- 

WOMAN—MUSICAL EVENINGS—RIVER POLICE—DEPARTURE 
OF CONSCRIPTS—RECEPTION OF THE KING AND QUEEN OF 
SAXONY—THE WOUNDED AT PRAGUE—LIEUTENANT PFEIFFER. 


0 2 


“ Theirs was the crown of victory, the hour 
Of triumph, and the applause of distant lands 
Might have been envied; but I know the gore 
Of murdered kindred dyed the victors’ hands.’’ 


197 


CHAPTER X. 

QN midsummer day we were greeted with 
the intelligence that the Prussians were 
within three hours’ march of us; but as ours 
was an obscure little village, and off the great 
battle route, the news did not alarm us. We were 
also told that sixteen hundred troops were coming 
into Tetschen next day. This was worse informa¬ 
tion, as, of course, the Austrian troops must offer 
resistance to the Prussians, and sixteen hundred 
would not do much against the Prussian army! 
A battle round our windows would have been 
dreadful; but no doubt the Austrians found 
out how near the enemy was, for the sixteen 
hundred men never appeared, though on the 
Monday morning following the Prussians did, 


198 Prussian Officers. 

and an outpost marched into Tetsclien. They 
were very tired and hungry, and the people 
flocked round them, giving them food and 
drink, and listening to their adventures. 
They all told the same tale—that they hated 
the war, that they would willingly lay down 
their arms directly they met Benedek, and that 
they had anxiously hoped to have met the 
Austrians in Dresden, where they would have 
fraternised with them at once ! 

We believed them implicitly, for everywhere 
we heard the same story, and I really think, in 
the early part of the campaign, the common 
feelings with which they regarded their Father- 
land made them averse to this fratricidal war. 
Everywhere in Austria the Prussian soldiers 
seem to have behaved tolerably well, when 
acting from their own free will; but the officers 
made themselves hated by their arrogance, insol¬ 
ence, and unfeeling conduct. 

Everywhere, even before war was dreamt of, 


Extravagant Hopes. 


199 


the Prussian officer was regarded as the most 
haughty and repulsive of mortals, as poor 
Austria soon found by bitter experience. At a 
later period, when they were flushed with un¬ 
paralleled success, and intoxicated with unex¬ 
ampled victories, one could not wonder if the 
loved Bund and the claims of brotherhood were 
forgotten ; but on the 25th of June, we fully 
thought that there would be, at least, a stage 
embrace when the contending armies met— 
that much would be forgiven and forgotten on 
both sides—and that a lasting peace would be 
the result. Despite of Dr. Gumming, however, 
we are still far from the Millennium, and the 
lists of killed and wounded that in a few short 
days were furnished to the world showed how 
wildly extravagant were our hopes, and how 
fallacious the words of the Prussian hussars. 

One of the officers in command of this little 
party was a relation of Count Thun’s, at the 
Castle of Tetschen. He sent a hurried note by 


200 Rapid Movements of the Prussians. 

one of the troopers to Countess Juza, the 
Count’s daughter, saying he was very hungry, 
and praying that she would take pity on him, 
and send him some food. The Countess, though 
a most patriotic Bohemian, took compassion on 
her enemy, and was hastily superintending the 
packing of a hamper of provisions, when a per¬ 
emptory summons so hastened the hussar’s depar¬ 
ture, that he derived no benefit from the store of 
good things. Truly the Prussians did not let the 
grass grow under their feet in their rapid move¬ 
ments. We, on the other side of the Elbe, were 
in a very isolated position that day. We had not 
even the excitement of seeing the Prussians, 
as our poor little ferry-boat was sunk, and we 
were only able to guess at what was going on ; 
but in the evening, when the enemy had 
left, we got a queer little boat (without even 
an apology for a seat) to take us over to 
Tetschen. 

There we saw Miss Adair and the Countess Juza, 


Our Position. 


201 


and heard the news of the hussar’s visit. These 
ladies walked part of the way back with us, and 
when near the ferry we met the postmaster with 
an express just arrived, containing the report of a 
battle—heavy losses on both sides ; but success 
on the part of Austria. 

Next day there was great excitement on the 
arrival of a train from Prague; but it only stayed 
to unload, take in the letters, water the engine, 
and then was off again, on its return to the 
capital. 

Our position at Tetschen and Bodenbacli was 
always looked on as highly dangerous, as we were 
situated between the two fortresses of Kbnig- 
stein and Theresienstadt, the only places 
passed by the Prussians in their victorious 
march which remained the property of their 
respective monarchs. 

The weather was fearfully hot. Quite early in 
the morning we used to hear in the distance the 
heavy firing, which we knew portended the be- 


202 Signs of Carnage. 

ginning of another day of slaughter. This, 
mingled with some very heavy thunder-storms, 
went on day after day for nearly a week from 
the 26th of June. 

The most horrible sign of carnage I noticed 
was in the appearance of several carrion crows, 
which, regularly every morning, in the very early 
dawn, used to come down from the mountains 
beyond, and resting for a few moments on the 
rocks opposite my windows, where they uttered 
their discordant cries, then pursued their flight 
in the direction of the red field of battle, not to 
reappear till the next morning’s light started them 
again on their repulsive errand ! 

One day, when taking my Eussian bath, I 
heard, as I thought, the sound of heavy firing in 
the distance, and asked the old bath woman if she 
also heard it. 

She went out to listen, and came back, saying, 

“ No; it is only the cannon-thunder of the good 
God!” 


The Bath-woman. 


203 


This old woman used to amuse me during my 
bath-hour by devising bath-tortures for Bismark. 
lie was to be left in the hot vapour, vainly im¬ 
ploring for a cold douche; he was to be thrust 
into the red-hot furnace, and the door closed on 
his shrieks; or he was to be held under the cold 
douche till his senses departed! Poor thing! 
she used to envy me because I was going back to 
England, saying that there, where there was peace, 
all went smooth ! I think if she had seen Hyde 
Park on the evening of the 23rd of July last, 
as I did, perhaps she would have preferred even 
the Prussian soldiers to the u roughs ” of u peace¬ 
ful England.” 

She came from Prague in her youth, and had 
worked industriously with her husband at these 
baths, till they had saved money to buy a 
pretty Swiss villa in Bodenbach. The view from 
the balcony was lovely. In the evenings of 
the long summer days in 1864, when this Swiss 
cottage was inhabited by some English friends of 


f 


204 Musical Evenings. 

mine, many a happy hour we passed in that 
balcony. It was pleasure enough to sit there, 
and feast one’s eyes on the lovely view; and 
to sketch it was a work of which we never tired. 

About September the landscape looked so very 
picturesque late at night, when all along both banks 
of the Elbe the peasants used to light fires, in 
order to attract a small sort of flying insect which 
came in large swarms in the hot evenings. When 
they had gathered these into cloths, they rolled them 
into a sort of paste, and sold them at a good price 
as food for cage-birds. I have often counted more 
than sixty fires lighting up the groups of women 
and children, and illuminating for a long distance 
the swift-running waters of the Elbe. 

In those tranquil days, too, we often used to 
have very pleasant musical evenings, when we 
listened, not to the martial airs with which we 
had now become very familiar, but to the soft, 
sweet Bohemian choruses of the musical society 
at Tetschen. Once, when a glorious harvest- 


Solitary Days. 205 

moon was shining, we were asked to meet a 
large party on the opposite bank of the Elbe; 
and there for hours we wandered, listening to 
melodious duets and choruses seldom, if ever, 
heard in England; the voices on the tops of 
the high cliffs and amongst the echoing pine 
woods sounding so wild and heart-stirring. 

Those glad days, however, were gone, and we 
alone remained of the large, cheerful party that 
used to meet in 1864. The bath-house, hotels, 
and Swiss cottage were no longer filled with 
visitors from Prague and Toplitz. A solitary 
Saxon lady alone occupied rooms in one 
hotel. 

I often looked with very covetous eyes 
at the Swiss cottage, thinking how delighted 
I should be if it were mine; but it was not a 
Naboth’s vineyard to me, for the dark days 
being come, the poor bath people wanted to sell 
it. I should have liked much to purchase it— 
they only wanted a little over a thousand 


206 Reports of Battles. 

pounds English for it—but I comforted myself 
with the reflection that, if I bought it, I 
could not afford to live there; or, if I did, I 
should have to walk yearly to and from Calais, 
as I could not pay for my ticket also, and I 
should not like to spend the winter in Boden- 
bach, when the vast pine forests are encrust¬ 
ed with snow, and the Elbe’s swift current is 
locked in fetters of ice. 

Every day now brought reports of battles, 
and the victory was invariably announced on 
the side of Austria. As newspapers were very 
rare and uncertain, we had to be thankful 
even for rumours. The post came from 
Prague some days on a u lorry.” Occasionally 
the trains ventured as far from that city as 
Aussig, and then sent on the letters by the 
more modest conveyance. Of course, no pas¬ 
sengers cared to risk a journey in these trou¬ 
bled times, and as the railway was nearly 
everywhere broken up, no merchandise was sent. 


River Police. 


207 


Herr Schiller’s sydrolith-ware works went on 
as usual, luckily for the many hands he 
employed. The wares, not being perishable, 
could be stored, and wait till prosperity and 
peace were re-established. Though the manu¬ 
factory of Jordaiens and Timmins (whose choco¬ 
late gained the prizes in the Exhibitions both 
of 1851 and 1862) had to be partially closed, 
the firm generously continued to pay their poor 
work-people, even though they could not give 
them employment. 

For a wonder, on the 27th, a steamer—the 
“ King John ”—came down the river. Instead 
of the groups of brightly-dressed holiday folks, 
who usually occupied her decks, we now only 
saw a detachment of Austrian soldiers, doing 
the duty of river police, to clear the Elbe of 
rafts. These soldiers used also to patrol the 
banks, on the look out for Prussian outposts. 
These were now the only signs of life in Boden- 
bach, for, as I said before, ever since our arrival, 


208 Morning Walk. 

except tlie soldiers, we had been the sole 
occupants of the hotel. In short, except one 
family of visitors, we were the only strangers in 
the place, and quite looked on the hotel, with 
the Count’s beautiful pine woods, as exclusively 
our own. The idea was very delightful, but 
what shall we think if we ever go there 
again ? 

In my early morning walks through the 
lonely forests, I used to wander on, never 
meeting anything more alarming than unusually 
large lion ants, or the black and yellow lizards 
sunning themselves in the warmth of the morning 
rays. A human being in the shape of a wood¬ 
cutter was almost as startling as if he had been 
a Prussian. How much pleasanter was this than 
meeting “ bath patients ” and u bath guests ” at 
every turn, and having to sally forth in those 
warm mornings, arrayed in bonnet and shawl, 
to meet the requirements of society. I knew 
that on the woodcutter, the lizard, and the lion 


209 


Sad Tidings. 

ant, my print dress, and a thick Italian parasol, 
would have exactly the same effect as a saucer 
bonnet and mantle of the newest Paris fashion ; 
and very happily I used to wander about, 
admiring the magnificent trees and abundant 
wild flowers, and hoping and longing for news 
of a glorious victory. But alas! on the 28th 
came tidings of sorrow; the Austrians were still 
victorious, but our poor Jiigers had been fear¬ 
fully cut up in a hard-won battle. They had 
fought bravely and well, the papers said, but 
had suffered terribly. 

I hardly know at this time how events suc¬ 
ceeded each other, our news, beyond the ideas 
suggested by the heavy firing we heard, was so 

meagre and so contradictory. I can only tell what 

/ 

happened as we heard it—no doubt very different 
from what it really was, and from what was known 
in England. 

I did not wish to leave Bohemia till we had 
heard that the victory of Austria was thoroughly 


P 


210 


Postal Communication. 


assured, and Prussia completely humiliated; but 
I often longed to be in England, to see English 
papers, and know what really was going on. I 
got one letter from home on the 28th, the first 
I had had for ages, and most thankfully was it 
welcomed. Later in the week I received two 
old English newspapers, which had been travelling 
round by Vienna, as our post now came that way. 
At a later period it had to come from thence by 
waggon, and very ancient were our letters when 
they arrived. Many never found their way to us 
at all, and were probably either left by the road¬ 
side in some broken-down old vehicle, or else 
they became the lawful prey of some Prussian 
regiment. I only hope the literal translation re¬ 
paid them for the trouble of appropriating them. 

The 29th, the “King John” appeared again, 
and returned late in the evening, driving slowly 
before it a very small steamer which it had 
rescued at Ivrippen, as it was just going to be 
sent, by some not very patriotic Saxon, to the 
Prussians at Dresden. 


The Conscription. 211 

The two steamers had sad work the next 
two days—taking away from Tetschen, Boden- 
bach, and the neighbourhood, the conscripts who 
had been drawn- to join the army. When I saw 
the immense procession winding down to the 
Elbe, I fully thought it was the Prussians ; but it 
was a melancholy sight—no one appeared willing 
to be the first to leave his native shore. A des¬ 
perate resolve, however, seemed at last to nerve 
one. He made a dash up the plank on to the deck 
of the steamer, and then the others were obliged 
to follow him. It was piteous to see the lin¬ 
gering way in which some went, many with their 
friends clinging round them, to take the last 
farewell on board, and it was not until the utmost 
verge of patience on the part of the captain was 
passed, that they could be prevailed upon to go. 

One of those drawn was the son of the wood¬ 
cutter just above our hotel, and the poor old 
mother came back, after seeing her son off, with 
her apron flung over her face, sobbing bit- 

P 2 


212 Royal Reception . 

terly. A young girl came down the hill to meet 
her, and, silently taking her hand, led her home. 
This son had been the principal support of his 
parents ; and though many a sad group passed up 
the hill that evening, the poor old mother’s loss 
has lingered in my mind as the saddest remini¬ 
scence of all. 

After this there was another period of sus¬ 
pense—no letters, no trains, no papers—only 
the telegram from Prague. One day I received 
a letter from a Bohemian friend in that city 
(Prague is five hours from Bodenbach by train, 
and my letter had been three days coming). It 
gave me a description of the reception of the 
King and Queen of Saxony, some days before. 
The Queen and princesses came first, and occu¬ 
pied thirty rooms at the “ Golden Angel.” 
They were always most simply dressed, and 
walked out unknown and unmolested. When the 

i 

King arrived, Her Majesty went to meet him, and 
wept dreadfully. The people of Prague cheered 


The Telegraph Officials. 213 

him as he passed, to show their sympathy, and he 
appeared much touched. 

My friend in the capital of Bohemia had not 
heard more reliable news than we had in secluded 
Bodenbach, for she ended her letter of the 21st. of 
June by saying— 

u We hear that the Prussians retire slowly 
again from Saxony. Everyone here believes that 
the Austrians will attack the Prussians on the 
Silesian frontier, and all are sanguine of victory 
for us. Heaven grant it!” 

The people at the telegraph-office were very 

civil; but J- never learnt any intelligence 

there. They went so far one day as to say that, 
if the news ever was good , it would soon be 
known. We had therefore to rest satisfied with 
such information as we could obtain from private 
sources. Everything that was official oozed out 
only in a garbled form, from which we could 
learn little or nothing. 

Every day there came reports in some shape 



214 Benedetis Strategy. 

or other of victories won by Austria. Even the 
last days before Koniggratz, we were still buoyed 
up with promises of success. But the suspense 
and the utter dearth of official news were un¬ 
bearable; and though w r e rejoiced over reported 
victories, yet we could not help observing, when 
we traced the movements of the opposing forces 
on a map of the country kindly lent us by Herr 
Garreis, that after every fresh success the Aus¬ 
trians retreated, and the Prussians followed. 
On my venturing to remark to some one that 
this seemed inconsistent with the idea of conquest, 
I was told that it was Benedek’s strategy, the 
result of which would be a triumph so complete, 
that Prussia would be humbled to the dust! 

We heard of a great many wounded on the 
Austrian side. They were conveyed to Prague, 
where their reception was most touching—people 
crowding the streets, so that the carriages with the 
maimed soldiers could only advance very slowly. 
Everybody tried to give them something—money, 


Eagerness for News. 215 

cigars, or eatables. Even the beggars I was told 
gave the poor soldiers a kreutzer or two ! Many of 
them seemed pleased to receive these tokens of 
compassion, and even murmured a few words 
of thanks; but some, alas! refused everything 
with a mournful shake of the head, as if they 
were past all relief or hope t 

On the 4th of July, we were told that a great 
battle was expected, and that we should now be 
able to appreciate the splendid plans of the Aus- 
trian general. No cathedral town or water¬ 
ing-place gossips could ever have had a more 
insatiable thirst for news than that which pos¬ 
sessed us. It seemed marvellous to be within 
twenty miles of the battle-fields, and yet know 
nothing reliable! We heard the firing, and 
fancied heavy masses of clouds were the smoke 
from the cannons. Yet no whisper came to tell 
us how the day was going! We had now, 
however, the satisfaction of going over to Tetsch- 
en to talk things over with our English friends 


216 Lieutenant Pfeiffer . 

there, as our little ferry-boat had been fished up 
again from the bottom of the Elbe, where it had 
been sunk when the Prussians were considered too 
near; though, all this time, any one walking from 
Tetschen, five miles on the Kamnitz road, might 
have seen the white tents of the enemy pitched 
on the side of the Kaltenberg. 

Poor young Lieutenant Pfeiffer returned about 
this time, wounded, from the encounter at Jiejn. 
He belonged to the Wiirtemberg Hussars (not 
really from Wiirtemberg; but as the Austrian 
regiments have no numbers, they are designated 
by such names as the Wiirtemberg, the Graf 
Hangwitz, and even the King of Prussia’s Hus¬ 
sars). Lieutenant Pfeiffer had his horse shot 
under him, and was then wounded by a sword-cut 
over his shoulder. When he recovered sufficiently 
to disentangle himself from his dead charger, he 
luckily caught another which was running loose, 
and was enabled to ride to the rear, where he had 
his wound dressed. Being perfectly disabled in 



Ills Remarkable Preservation. 


217 


his sword-arm, and very weak from loss of blood, 
he was ordered to return home. If he could 
have come across the hills, this would have been 
a very short ride; but all that part of the country 
being now in the hands of the enemy, he had 
to ride very slowly to Prague, thence by train 
to Aussig, and home to Bodenbach by “lorry.” 
He was much reduced by his journey, which had 
been very harassing, from the road being so 
blocked by soldiers and war material. So great 
was his weakness, from loss of blood, that he 
seemed to suffer more from the haunting horrors 
of what he had seen at Jiejn than from 
his wound. For days and nights, whether wak¬ 
ing or sleeping, he could not shake off the 
recollection of an extremely tall Prussian soldier 
who, armed with the deadly needle-gun, had 
rained death around him ! In vain young Pfeiffer 
had attempted to make his men charge, as horses 
and riders were alike struck down by the fearful 
shower of bullets. This man, who, towering over 


218 Losses of his Regiment. 

liis comrades, appeared to stand scathless, seemed 
to return now, in the delirium of fever, to re¬ 
visit the poor lieutenant! 

For many days not all the joys of his home, 
nor the care and attentions of his family circle, 
could bring a smile to his face, so deeply 
was he impressed with the horrors of that 
day, when, lying under the weight of his dead 
horse, wounded and bleeding, he saw his men 
falling round him in fearful numbers.. Out of 
the seventy-two officers of his regiment, fifty 
were wounded, and the men literally fell in 
masses. Of course he could tell nothing with 
regard to the termination of the day’s fighting ; 
but there was a general impression that Austria 
had won a series of small encounters at Podel on 
the 26th, at Mtinchengrlitz on the 27th, at Jung 
Bunzlau on the 28th, at Jiejn on the 29th, and 
that the Prussians were being lured into a trap, 
where their destruction would be complete ! 


Chapter XI. 


DEFEAT OF AUSTRIA—CONDUCT OF THE PRUSSIANS—CHANGING 
CIRCULAR NOTES—MAKING LINT—LETTER FROM PRAGUE— 
THE LITTLE KELLNER—WAITING FOR THE POST—SCHNEE- 


BERC-A GROUP AT PRAYER. 


“ Love oft since this strange world began, 
Walking his path of awe and wonder, 
Has brought a better age to man 
In blood, and fire, and battle thunder. 
Angels, that with the evening star 
Looked down upon the field of doom, 
Wept—but serenely, for they saw 
Beyond the veil the good to come.” 





221 


CHAPTER XI. 

W E went over to Tetschen in the evening, 
but a gloomy distrust seemed on every' 
face—a dim foreshadowing of the dismal 
tidings that burst on us next morning, when the 
sad fact could no longer be withheld, and we 
learnt the melancholy truth that Austria had 
been beaten—utterly and completely beaten. 
Her soldiers, we were informed, had fought 
bravely at Koniggratz, but her generals had 
disagreed, and the subordinate commanders had 
refused to obey the orders of their superiors, the 
result of which was the total defeat and dispersion 
of the Austrian army. 

We heard nothing of the needle-gun in those 
days—only execrations, loud and deep, on 
Clam-Gallas, who, late at Magenta, was no less 


222 Koniggratz, 

than forty-eight hours behind his time in fulfilling 
Benedek’s orders to defend the passes near Reich- 
enberg. Some said he had been celebrating in 
champagne, at a small inn, the victory of Cus- 
tozza, when his men were anxiously watching for 
their commander to lead them to the field of 
battle. What sickening misery it must have been 
to Benedek, while, with the weak wing of his 
army, he waited in vain for the tardy Bavarians 
and their unpunctual commander, and when, after 
having seven times beaten back the Prussians 
from Chlum, he was at length compelled to yield: 
When that position was taken, and his men felt the 
full power of the Prussian cross-fire, well might 
he have exclaimed, “ Save me from mv friends ! ” 
J- went down to the station in the after¬ 

noon of this sad 5th of July, but could neither hear 
good news, nor even particulars of the fearful 
battle of the 3rd at Koniggratz. In the evening, 

o 

however, we had no longer a ray of hope left 
that the sad news might have been exaggerated. 



Conduct of the Prussians. 223 

Everyone confirmed the morning’s bad tidings, 
and it was a sad party that gathered for supper 
that evening in the parlour of the Hotel Zum 
Bad. In the hall was a poor woman just 
arrived from Tbplitz, very tired and footsore, 
and sadly frightened by the Prussian soldiers, 
who had ordered out of the town all who had 
no occupation, or who were not invalids. This 
poor woman, a widow, having no trade to follow, 
had fled with many others, but in her flight 
had left everything behind, thankful to escape 
with her life. How startling it was to find 
that the Prussians were the first to break the 
promises which they had voluntarily made! At 
Kissingen and at Tbplitz, both places where 
there were mineral springs devoted to the sick 
and feeble, they had behaved atrociously. 

It was piteous this evening, and on many succeed¬ 
ing days, to see the numbers of poor people— 
raftsmen and wood-cutters out of employ, and 
many other sturdy-looking Bohemians who had 


224 Anecdote of a Poor Woman. 

nothing to do, for there was no work to be had 
—standing the whole day on the banks of the 
Elbe, watching for the first sight of the vic¬ 
torious Prussian army. Horsemen were reported 
to have been seen in the distance; but as they 
had work further on to do, whilst we were 
looking for them they were far on their way 
to Prague. In obedience to orders received, 
the telegraph wires on the other side of the 
the station, between Bodenbach and Prague, 
were cut, and all the government officials— 
railway, post-office, and custom-house—disap¬ 
peared. 

When we were crossing in our little boat from 
Tetschen in the evening, there came over with us 
a poor woman, evidently in great grief. On 

J--’s inquiring what was the matter, she told 

her that she was hurrying home to bake seven 
loaves of bread, as the Prussians would be in 
Bodenbach in a couple of days; and as she 
usually had only two loaves in her cottage, if 



Changing Circular Notes. 225 

they found only that small number, they would 
be so angry that they would assuredly kill her. 
To appease their wrath, therefore, she was going 
to have a grand baking. Poor thing, I hope 

she was quieted by J-’s assurance that the 

Prussians would scarcely trouble themselves to 
pillage such small cottages, and that Bodenbach 
itself was not rich enough to tempt them to linger 
for such a strict search. 

On going down to the Bank at Bodenbach 
next evening, we found a significant sign of the 
times in the fact that the door was fastened, and 
a chain put across it. The last time we went 
to change a circular note they gave us seven 
pounds fourteen shillings extra on twenty pounds 
English, but now they declined changing one at 
all, as in the present state of the country they did 
not know how long it might be before they could 
get these notes circulated. We had therefore to 
be economical and live on what we had left till 
they got better news—a very distant and un- 


Q 



226 Making Lint. 

certain prospect, for tlie brighter days seemed 
farther off than ever, and everything looked dark 
and gloomy. 

There was no talk now of pleasant walks or ex¬ 
cursions. Our time was principally taken up in 
making lint from old linen supplied by Countess 
Juza. Lint is made quite differently in Austria 
from what it is in England. When we explained 
our method to Dr. Biederman, he courteously an¬ 
swered that it seemed very excellent, yet they na¬ 
turally preferred having it prepared their own way 
—viz., cut into small squares and long strips—pull¬ 
ing every thread separate—the smaller lengths for 
gunshot wounds, and the long fibres for sword 
cuts. Except for this employment I don’t think 
we were any more busy than the poor raftsmen, 
for all day we were constantly turning our eyes to 
the windows or listening for the sound of firing. 

Walking was out of the question, when at any 
turn we might meet a Prussian outpost. All 
the evening on the terrace we used to watch for 


Letter from Prague . 227 

the beacon fires which occasionally answered each 
other from the hills. Our greatest mental occupa¬ 
tion was in trying to calculate how long the Arch¬ 
duke Albrecht, with the victorious southern army, 
would take to come from Venetia, by that terrible 
single line railway, to the help of Benedek—for 
that now seemed our only hope. 

The evening of the 6th of July I had an¬ 
other letter from Prague (only one day com¬ 
ing). It was so sad that it made me still 

w 

more miserable but it showed how great was the 
despair that reigned in the Bohemian capital when 
the unexpected truth burst upon them. 

“ I intended to tell you of our happiness 
about our Italian victories, and was sure you 
would rejoice with us; and just now comes the 
dreadful news that we are beaten by the Prussians, 
and that they are on their march to Prague. 
Our friends wish us to leave, but I hate the 
thought of flight, and will stay where I am 
People are flying by thousands to Pilsen and 

Q2 


228 Letter from Prague. 

Vienna; but, my dear, dear Miss Eden, deeply 
I feel the humiliation for my country. I am 
so unhappy about it—could only something be 
done to help my Austria, and my poor 
Emperor! And those overbearing, hateful 
Prussians—shall they come here, and take 
possession of Bohemia ? I cannot bear that 
thought. And the Bund !—great help that has 
given us! The Bund made the condition that 
we should not march into Silesia, or else they 
would take the part of Prussia. So we were 
obliged to let the Prussians come here, and 
now they conquer us. Oh ! this humiliation, to 
be conquered by them ! I scarcely know what 
I write—what I think. I have only one prayer 
—help for Austria! The whole day we make 
charpie (lint) for our poor wounded soldiers, of 
whom a very large number arrived already two 
days ago. It is fearful to see them suffer, and 
to know now that all their sufferings were in 
They fought so bravely—so gallantly; 


vam. 


Doubts about our Route Home . 


229 


and shall they have done their duty so well 
only to become prisoners to our enemies ? 
Great heaven! hast thou no justice any more, 
to let the Prussians, who broke their word, and 
are no better than thieves, be our victors?” 

I did not dare to answer immediately this 
earnest outburst of wounded feeling, for if I had 
written as I felt, the letter would never have 
been delivered; but I looked forward with 
great pleasure to writing the first day that the 
Prussians were clear of Bohemia, and telling 
my friend that, victorious though they were, 
there were other places besides Prague where the 
Prussians, with their king at their head, were 
looked upon as no better than thieves and liars. 

As we had no letters or newspapers now, we 
were very doubtful about our route home to 
England. We could not find out if the rail¬ 
way beyond Dresden had been restored by the 
Prussians. We knew it had not been so on this 
side, for the torn-up rails were lying in the garden 


230 Road between Bodenbach and Dresden . 

below us. By Prague and Pilsen, of course, 

we could not go. However, J- determined 

to send lier German maid home to Dresden, if 
it could be managed; and as Paulina had a 
brother who was employed on the railway, she 
thought he might be able to bring a u lorry ” 
for her, a vehicle which now seemed to us the 
height of luxurious travelling. I suppose, how¬ 
ever, they were not able to manage that, for they 
arrived at ten o’clock at night from Dresden, 
with a pass for twenty-four hours’ leave from 
the Prussian official in command there. They 
gave a not very pleasing account of the state 
of the road between Bodenbach and Dresden. 
So much timber had been felled across it, that 
half the time in coming had been occupied in 
lifting the carriage over it, with the assist¬ 
ance of peasants. If they had had luggage, it 
would have been endless work. Neither was 
the account of the state of Dresden, with the 
Prussian troops billeted on the townspeople, 



Pi '’ussicin Brutality, 231 

very inviting. We all knew by this time the 
character of the Prussians, their rough, brutal 
soldiers, and their ungentlemanly officers, the 
former greedy and wasteful, the latter indulging 
in an unpardonable system of extortion, the 
meanness of which they endeavoured to cover by 
their excessive arrogance and presumption. 

One Russian widow lady, who was known to 
be very rich, had, they assured us, a hundred 
men quartered in her house; and this we could 
well believe, when we were told that the rooms which 

J- had occupied had now the privilege of 

containing eight men and two officers. We 
often amused ourselves wondering if the officers 
passed through the men’s rooms, or the men 
through the officers’; for, as I said before, the 
rooms all opened one into the other, and, though 
very picturesque and charming, were ill calcu¬ 
lated to hold a mixed company. 

The first question that the Prussians asked, 
when they entered Dresden, and found the place, 



232 Voraciousness of the Prussians. 

to their astonishment, empty, was, u Where are 
those Saxon hounds ?” 

People in England will hardly believe the ex¬ 
treme secresy observed in all the movements of 
the Austrian army. With letters and newspapers 
stopped, all correspondence under the strictest sur¬ 
veillance, the telegraphs everywhere under Go¬ 
vernment control, and every means of transmitting 
information most rigidly and jealously guarded 
from the public, it may be imagined how difficult 
it was to obtain reliable news of the army. 

In those days Prussian spies and traitors were 
plentiful; and events since have proved how 
utterly Austria was at the mercy of her rival, who 
had taken care to collect from every source such 
information as might prove serviceable to her in 
the campaign. 

But to return to the Saxon family of J-’s 

pretty lady’s-maid, who, in the hotel, were pour¬ 
ing out their lamentations at the enormous ap¬ 
petites of the Prussians. They told us that they 



Pleasant Anecdote. 


233 


liad coffee, bread, and butter early; at eleven, 
coffee, bread and butter, and meat; at dinner, hot 
meat, vegetables, and pudding—a bottle of wine 
for each officer, and beer for the men. Afternoon 
coffee, and supper of bread, meat, cheese, and 
the best beer; six excellent cigars a day for the 
officers, and the same number of inferior ones 
for each man. At one private house, where, a 
party being quartered, the lady had sent away her 
silver, and substituted German metal, they de¬ 
manded the silver back. u Were they pigs, that 
they could eat without silver?” They appeared 
to be anything but pleasant guests. In the streets 
they have been known to take the horses out of 
the droskies and appropriate them to the use of 
the army. 

One pleasant little anecdote was very satisfactory 
to us to hear. It appears that when the Prus¬ 
sians came to the Green Vaults in the palace at 
Dresden, where are the large collections of all 
the choicest treasures of the Crown of Saxony, 


234 


A Little Romance. 


they found the doors locked, and demanded the 
keys. They were informed they were at the 
English Minister’s. They desired them to be 
brought from there, that they might take posses¬ 
sion of them. They were told that that could not 
be done, as they were now the property of Great 
Britain. However, as they insisted on the keys 
being brought, they were procured from our 
Minister’s; and when the doors were opened, 
all the gems, jewels, and treasures of every 
description, to their extreme disgust, had the seal 
of England affixed to them. 

A wonderful tale was also circulated regarding 
the workmen in the Grosse Garten , who, on 
being employed to fell the beautiful trees there, 
for the purpose of erecting barricades, &c., 
were stopped by a mysterious personage, whose 
very presence seemed to inspire awe, and who 
was said to be the representative of England. 
As we were informed, however, on good autho¬ 
rity that this story was not true, we were 


Karl the Kellner . 


235 


obliged reluctantly to disbelieve the little romance. 

The weather even seemed now to share in the 
general depression, and changed from the intense 
heat of the previous week to cold, chilly days. 
A melancholy little robin, too, used to come and 
perch itself close to my window, and sing its 
dreary song all day, so that I felt in my room 
as melancholy as if I w T ere in a churchyard. I 
quite longed to be told some day with a grin 
by our cheery-looking little waiter—(a rosy-cheeked 
urchin, who, on the night of the mine alarm, 
only appeared, as the drum sounded for us to 
evacuate the house, with a very polished face, 
rubbing his eyes, having been enjoying a sound 

sleep, whilst he left J-and me to do his work, 

thatof drawing beer and cuttingbread and butterfor 
the soldiers)—that there were robins for dinner, 
among which this one might be included, so that 
henceforth we should be rid of its doleful song. 
This Kellner in miniature used generally to explain 
to us what the different dishes, with the mys- 



236 A Dainty Dish. 

terious-sounding names, really were; but we 
could not always depend on his choice of one 
being fl very excellent/’ for we soon found that 
the chief recommendation in his eyes was an 
extra coating of grease or suet, and a plentiful 
supply of jam. We found once on the bill of 
fare some small birds, of which, from Karl’s de¬ 
scription, we could make nothing. They were not 
pigeons, nor quails, nor partridges, nor fieldfares, 
but Karl said they were very delicious , his eyes 
glistening with a hungry look. As change was 
desirable, we ordered them, and when they ap¬ 
peared they proved to be crossbills swimming in 
grease. They were not bad; but, perhaps from 
choice, they had a slight venison flavour. I 
am sure that in England crossbills are looked 
upon as carrion, and never eaten. 

It is wonderful that they have any flying 
things left here but bats. I don’t think they 
have tried to eat them yet, but every sort of 
bird that flies they shoot, and, I conclude, have 


Veal and Mutton. 


237 


no game laws, for all seasons seem alike to them. 

When we were in Hungary, at the end of 
April, we several times had pheasant, for an es¬ 
pecial dainty dish, when in England all well-regu¬ 
lated pheasant households would be thinking of 
their nests and nursery arrangements. Variety, 
however, is certainly pleasant, and, considering 
the hard times, and that we were the only 
guests, we generally had very tidy cooking at 
Bodenbach. Very few of the government officials 
or mercantile employes came to the mid-day 
meal, though they made their appearance generally 
at the supper hour. The mutton was always 
excellent—more like the Barbary mutton we used 
to get in Malta than any we have here in Eng¬ 
land. The veal cutlets were extremely good, 
and always forthcoming. This did not surprise 
me, for we constantly met numbers of small 
calves, as the merciless butcher was leading them, 
poor things, to slaughter. All the time I was 
at Bodenbach, I do not remember having ever 


238 Waiting for the Post. 

seen either a flock or a single sheep—so where 
the mutton came from, I cannot conjecture. I 
used to imagine formerly that it was brought by 
railway, but as our trains had stopped running, 
without the failure of our mutton, that could not 
have been the case. The omelettes, too, were 
excellent, and, later in the autumn, they had 
an extremely good dish of a beautiful sort of 
fungus, which grows like a large head of coralline. 
This chopped up with eggs tasted like very deli¬ 
cate mushroom omelette. When we were at 
Bodenbach, two years ago, we never used to 
tire of our fungus dish for supper. The moun¬ 
tain strawberries we had now in plenty were 
delicious, but all fruit seemed much later, and 
less abundant, than in England. 

The 8th of July was the last Sunday of our 
stay, and we walked down to the railway 
station, to find out something about trains, if 
we could. The post from Vienna had just come 
in, and brought some newspapers—old ones, no 


The c( Scotch Mountain .” 


239 


doubt. Tlie way in which the newspapers were 
eagerly scanned by anxious groups would have 
made a fine subject for an engraving in the 
“ Illustrated London News.” Alas ! no good 
tidings were to be expected from Vienna, where 
all was sorrow and overthrow, the news of which 
made the gloomy faces grow more darkly woe- 
struck. The deep groan of bitter despair burst 
from more than one manly breast when it be¬ 
came known how painful were the depths of 
humiliation and ruin into which the Empire 
was hopelessly plunging. 

Scarcely anyone in England will ever know 
the extent of the misery and beggary which 
that fatal six weeks has brought on Bohemia. 


Many who were rich and prosperous are now 
fearfully reduced, and thousands are literally 
beggars. All, however, bear their hard doom 
with wonderful resignation, and make the best 
of their sad fate. 

One evening recently, J- and I took 



240 


Schneeherg. 


a walk to a lovely spot, rather more than a 
mile from our inn, uphill all the way. On 
coming to a little roadside cross, we struck 
off into a narrow path, through lanes, and 
by peaceful little cottage gardens, till we 
came to a lovely spot, which we had long ago 
called the u Scotch Mountain,” from its like¬ 
ness to some of the beautiful rough, craggy 
hills in Argyleshire—broken piles of rock, 
more than half covered with short heather and 
the pretty little red bear-berry. When we were 
last at Bodenbach, in the autumn, the mountain 
side was dark green, with a lining of scarlet 
from the masses of berries with which it was 
covered. Now it was delicately fringed with 
pearly little blossoms, and the view from 
where we used to take our seats was lovely in 
the extreme! Clusters of tidy little cottages, 
with their pretty gardens, were situated far 
down in the valley at our feet. Behind them 
was a cliff, covered with deep green pine 


Saxon Switzerland. 


241 


woods. A village, with its picturesque little 
church, was seen in the distance. Rocky 
heights, covered with pine woods, extended all 
the way to the lofty Schneeberg. 

Schneeberg was now looked upon with 
dislike and fear, for during many weeks 
past there had been well authenticated tales 
of Prussians who, having taken up their 
quarters there, were often seen lingering about 
the woods that crown its summit, on which 
Count Thun had erected a tower. The view 
from this elevation was very extensive, reaching 
far into the interior of Bohemia on one side, 
and all over Saxon Switzerland on the other. 
I am not sure that this view on the Saxon 
Switzerland side was not the grandest, with 
the rows of mountain-looking hills, and the 
strange broken rocks that mark the course of 
the Elbe, on its way to Dresden, which was 
also visible from the Schneeberg in clear 
weather. The Prussians, however, had now the 


R 


242 Wayside Cross. 

full enjoyment of this beautiful view (as they had 
also of most of the best things in Austria), 
and we felt very sad to think how all our 
hopes and wishes had been scattered to the 
winds, and that on departing from Bohemia, we 
were leaving it in the hands of a grasping 
avaricious enemy ! Poor Austria! how we pity 
its Emperor and people! 

Descending our mountain we came on a little 
wayside cross, and as the Ave Maria was ringing 
from the churches in the valley below, the lamps 
were lit at this primitive out-door chapel, around 
which about twenty peasant women from the 
surrounding cottages were kneeling, repeating 
their evening prayers. The aged women, who 
knelt nearest to the cross, never turned at 
the sound of our footsteps, but seemed quite ab¬ 
sorbed in their devotions, their sad gaze fixed 
anxiously on the pitying face on the cross, 
as if they expected some sign of hope, 
or some grace for the bitter sorrow of the 


Group at Prayer. 243 

times, from the imaged lips of Him who 
on a far distant hillside, long centuries ago, 
had said to a group of mourning women, “Weep 
not for me, but weep for yourselves and for 
your childrenwords the full significance of 
which had been bitterly experienced by the 
devout mourners before me. 

No doubt many a loved and cherished one 
belonging to those kneeling there was fighting 
with unflinching courage, yet with a despairing 
heart, for his beloved Bohemia. Numbers were 
even now beyond the need of those earnest prayers 
—happily safe where war and famine are over 
for ever. I longed to kneel too, and join in 
the devotion of that earnest circle, whose prayers, 
breathed forth from the heart, ascended like 
incense to heaven. 





<f jjajrttr XII 


THE BOATMEN ON THE ELBE—PRUSSIAN ARROGANCE—THE SIG¬ 
NAL PORTER AND HIS WIFE—PRUSSIANS AT COUNT THUN’S 
CASTLE—BRUTAL INHUMANITY—A PRUSSIAN SPY—NATIONAL 
FORTRESSES—APPALLING TALE. 


Still as I view each well-known scene, 

Think what is now, and what has "been, 
Seems as to me, of all bereft, 

Sole friends thy woods and streams were left 
And thus I love thee better still, 

Even in extremity of ill. 


247 


CHAPTER XII. 

TTHIE 10th of July was the last day of our 
stay in Bodenbach. As we had many 
adieus to make, and much to do, it was six 
o’clock before we could start to make some 
last purchases in the little town. We had got 
only a short distance beyond the first railway 
tunnel, when we saw a woman rushing across 
the road in a state of wild excitement, fling¬ 
ing her arms above her head in a frenzy of 
despair. Instantly guessing the cause of her 

excitement, I said to J-, u It must be the 

Prussians coming!” Directly we turned the 
bend in the rocky road we saw them, riding 
slowly along the railway from Tbplitz towards 
us ! 



248 


The Prussians . 


They halted for a few moments at the deserted 
railway-station, and then came on, still keep¬ 
ing on the rails, and entered the tunnel just 
above us. By-and-by we heard a sound like 
that of horses galloping back, which proved to 
be the troopers pulling down the weak little 
barricades erected. 

We had hoped that on finding this noble piece 
of engineering, they would have been compelled, 
in wrath and anger, to turn back. We had 
also looked forward to the pleasure of seeing 
them still more annoyed at the difficulty of 
descending on horseback the railway enbank- 
ment, which was very steep, and paved with 
large boulder stones. 

However, as we were disappointed in this, we 
resolved to see the end of their visit. I felt 
firmly convinced that we should find them snugly 
ensconced in our rooms at the inn; an idea which 
made us still more angry and indignant. How¬ 
ever, when we had gone back a little way, we 


Refractory Boatmen. 249 

found they had mostly dismounted after they 
had made their way through the tunnel. The 
officer and some of his men were gone down 
to the river, where they were hailing the 
ferry-boat, which had been taken to the other 
side when they were first seen. The boatmen 
were now departing, turning a deaf ear to the 

orders of the irritated Prussian officer, and 
moving up the bank with an air of stolid 
indifference, which showed that his rage w r as 
perfectly immaterial to them. When the 
Prussian found that his words were useless, he 
ordered his men to fire. The raising of their 
carbines by the hussars had more effect 
on the boatmen than all the stormy commands 
of the officer—and discretion being, in their 
circumstances, the better part of valour, 
they slowly and reluctantly brought their boat 
across. 

Of course by this time there was a great 
crowd on the bank—all the inhabitants of Bo- 


250 


Pi *ussian Arrogance . 


denbach on one side, and most of the Tetschen 
people on the other, having turned out to see 
what would follow the arrival of these unwel¬ 
come guests. The boat having reached the 
bank, the officer ordered his men in. Then, 
turning round and scanning the crowd with 
the true supercilious Prussian air, he singled 
out about half a dozen men whose dress 

(either by a bit of gold lace in the cap or some 
braid on the coat) gave them the least preten¬ 
sion to an official look, and with a wave of 
authority he ordered them also into the boat. 

What a mortification it must have been 

to the inhabitants to see this handful of 
men thus lord it over them ! If the boatmen 
had upset them in the river, or put them 

into the town-hall at Tetschen, which I longed 
to see done, it would only have brought 
down the whole swarm from Toplitz, breathing 
vengeance on the place. I doubt if any poor 
people in England would have allowed a 


251 


Feeling of the Population. 

small party of any foreign enemy to have 
such a quiet entrance into one of our villages. 
The Prussians certainly were not welcomed, but 
their arrival was observed with perfect apathy 
by the lower orders. A few of the better 
class seemed to feel the humiliation, but 
curiosity or indifference was certainly the 

general feeling. I am sure that J- and I 

expressed ourselves much more strongly than 

any of the Austrians. J-, indeed, got so 

very vehement in her outspoken sentiments, 
that I had to implore of her to desist, as her 
indignation could do no good, and might make 
the soldiers rude—but oh! how I hated them! 

When we had seen them into the boat, I 
bethought me of a poor old woman whose 
husband was signal-porter between the tunnels, 
at the entrance of one of which was their 
little cottage, just where the hussars were 
left in charge of the horses. The poor 
woman had been very kind when we were here 




252 The Signal-Porter and his Wife . 

two years ago, and when no trains were due, 
used always to allow us to walk the short 
way to our inn through the tunnel. She 
seemed so cheerful and contented in those 

days, and was constantly employed in her tiny 
garden, from which she used to give me 

many a sweet-smelling nosegay. Her husband, 
too, humble as was his position, was quite a 
finished old gentleman in his manners. Since 
then the poor old woman had become blind, 
requiring the constant attention of the old man, 
who devoted himself entirely to her, watching 

every change of her blind face, in a way that 

was most touching. 

I knew the poor old woman would be sadly 
frightened with all this fuss and noise, and 
on hastening up to her cottage, found her, 
as I expected, dreadfully alarmed, calling on 
the Virgin and saints to protect them. When 
I entered, she flung her arms round my neck, 
and burst into floods of tears. In her 


Prussian Hussars. 


253 


anxiety to know when the firing would begin, 
it was some time before she could be pacified, 
and made to believe that everything was going 
on very quietly. By-and-by I persuaded her 
that the hussars were very handsome, and if 
she would come outside, I would describe them 
to her. As we were all stifling in her little 
room, I led her out to the bench by her 
door, and we sat down together, she tightly hold- 
ing both my hands. 

The hussars were certainly very good-looking 
men, smart and soldier-like, with extremely 
plain, dark uniforms. Their horses, too, looked 
sleek and comfortable, not appearing more than 
their riders as if they had suffered from short 
commons or hard discipline. I happened to be 
wearing a dress of broad black and white stripes, 
so common in England last summer. One of 
the soldiers laughed, and pointing to me, said, 
il Well, there is some one who must be Prussian, 
as she wears our colours.” One of the bystanders 


254 The Jdgers. 

eagerly explained that, far from being a Prussian, 
or even having a Prussian tendency, I was 
English. 

When 1 had quieted and soothed my poor old 
woman, I found we must pursue our walk 
quickly, in order to finish our purchases. I there¬ 
fore begged her to sit outside till we returned, 
promising to bring her something very good if she 
obeyed. We then pursued our interrupted way, 
and in every shop we entered we heard the same 
story of the intolerable arrogance and grasping 
voracity of the Prussians, mingled with expres¬ 
sions of regret for the terrible losses the poor 
Jagers had sustained. The latter seemed 
universal favourites amongst the people, who 
heard with sorrow the terrible accounts of the 
masses of killed and wounded that were piled in 
the streets of Jung Bunzlau, or lay in the blood¬ 
stained field of Munchengratz, rousing an 
implacable feeling of hatred against their deadly 


enemies. 


Arrangements for our Departure . 255 

It was not with a very welcome feeling that 
we met the Prussians on our return home. 
They were marching from the ferry, having 
sent their horses through the tunnel, in charge 
of the mounted troopers, to meet them at the 
railway station. They were escorted by an im¬ 
mense crowd of ragged children, and most of 
the idle population of Bodenbach. As I passed 
the officer, I attempted as much of a grimace 
as was compatible with a strictly ladylike de¬ 
meanour ; but it was very trying not to be able 
to speak one’s mind to him. 

We returned over the Elbe to Tetschen, to find 
out what arrangements our kind friend, Miss 

A-, had made about our departure next day. 

Major W- A-, her brother, had promised 

to escort us home ; but we now found that the 
good-natured authorities of Bodenbach had tried 
their best for our comfort, and that we had the 
option of an open boat down the Elbe to Schandau, 
or of a u trolly ” or “ lorry ” on the deserted rail- 





256 Prussians at Count Thun’s Castle . 

way to Krippen. The weather was very showery, 
and not very inviting for an open boat, especially 
as our voyage was to be performed by night. 
We, therefore, chose the u trolly,” gladly accepting 
the offer of it, as it was to be the best they had, 
with six chairs on it, and abundance of room for 
our boxes. As we might choose our own hour 
for the journey, we named twelve o’clock next 
day. 

At Tetschen we heard the particulars of the 
visit of the Prussians that evening. They first 

went to the town-hall, where they ordered the 
burgomaster to accompany them; and then pro¬ 
ceeded to Count Thun’s castle, which they in¬ 
spected. Fortunately the Count and his family, 
who were not at home at that hour, were spared 

Cm, 

the reception of these uninvited and unwel¬ 
come guests. The evil hour, alas! was only 
delayed. Very shortly afterwards the castle was 
filled with Prussian troops, and has continued 


Prussian Soldiers and Officers. 257 

so up to the hour I write. The last three weeks 
or month has altered things for the better iu 
one way—viz., that they have now to pay for what 
they eat. When the order first came, the 
Prussians sent word to Count Thun that they 
w r ould like to have their food still supplied from 
his kitchen, as they approved of the cooking, but 
it might be put down in their bill. The Count, 
I need not say, indignantly declined the office of 
hotel-keeper. 

The men, however, were considered very quiet 
and pleasant (for Prussians), but the officers were, 
as usual, overhearing and disagreeable. Those from 
the Rhine provinces were generally liked, but the 
u Prussians proper ” were detestable and detested. 
It must have been the flower of the army of 
“ Prussia proper ” that filled poor Prague! These 
men were neither brutal nor violent, as our friends 
in England seemed to fear, but meanly grasping 
and insultingly rapacious. Their “requisitions” 
comprised every conceivable thing, even down to 


S 


258 Wanton Rapacity. 

handles for steel pens, quantities of leather, and 
gloves for the officers. We were told that if the 
shops were left open they were respected, and 
that the soldiers paid for what they took; but if 
the shutters were up, and distrust exhibited, they 
might pillage as they liked. I don’t know if this 
is true, or whether it is the usual custom of war. 
We were told of one poor farmer in Bohemia 
who had been reduced to comparative beggary. 
When the Prussians took away his cattle, he 
begged them to shoot him in mercy, as without his 
cows he must starve. We were informed they 
obligingly took him at his word; but I much 
doubt it, as we never heard of any wanton 
murder, though cruelty of the most despicable 
kind* was common in their dealings with the poor, 
whose cows they drove off, and sold shortly after 
for four or six shillings. Near Quassitz in Mo¬ 
ravia they stole two carriage-horses belonging to 

a lady, merely because a “gentlemanly” officer 

♦ # 

wanted them. The worst feature of their con- 


Brutal Inhumanity. 259 

duct was, in my opinion, their inhumanity to 
the sick and wounded Austrians. Newspapers 
may contradict the statement, and Prussians de¬ 
clare it false, but I know it to be perfectly true, 
as published in a Prague paper, which, though 
under Prussian supervision, was never contra¬ 
dicted by them, that the Austrian wounded were 
turned out of the hospitals after Koniggriitz to make 
room for the Prussians. One man was too badly 
wounded to be moved, but he did not trouble them 
long, as death put an end to his sufferings very 
shortly. Even the officers were taken out of their 
beds and laid upon straw sacks to make room for 
those who could so ungenerously abuse their vic¬ 
tory. In Prague the Bohemian people were re¬ 
quired to furnish fresh flowers and Prussian flags 
to decorate the city for the arrival of the King 
of Prussia and of Bismark! How could they 
expect an “enthusiastic reception ” from a high- 
spirited people, whose pride had been humbled to 
the dust, and whose hearts must have been wrung 


260 


Prussians at Tetschen. 


with agony at the conquest of their country, 
the loss of their brave army, and the dissipation 
of their dreams of glory. How bitter must have 
been their reflections in looking back to that time 
of ardent aspirations, when they exclaimed, a A 
month hence w r e shall be in Berlin.” What a 
mockery of all our hopes it seemed when we re¬ 
membered the conversations in which we had 
exulted over the additions of beautiful pictures to 
be made to the Imperial Gemalde Gallerie of 
Vienna, from the Picture Gallery in the New 
Museum at Berlin ! 

How did the Prussians occupy their evening at 
Tetschen whilst we were shopping? When they 
arrived at the Castle and found the Count was 
out, they asked for the custodian, or house- 
steward. He was a very old servant of the 
Count’s, and came, we may be sure, unwillingly 
enough. After they had made him show them all 
over the building, they announced that they should 
come next day from Toplitz to take possession, 


A Prussian Spy. 261 

as it would do to accommodate a large body of 
troops. They added, with wonderful considera¬ 
tion, that they would endeavour to leave the family 
dwelling-rooms in the possession of the Count and 
his family. Thanks, however, to the natural fea¬ 
tures of the country, the excellent old Count was 
permitted to remain a few more days in his loved 
home. The Prussians, finding that the Elbe 
and the Polzen did not quite surround the 
lofty rock on which the castle is perched, and that 
it could be commanded from the Schefferwald 
(a beautiful craggy cliff in Bodenbach, on the oppo¬ 
site bank of the Elbe), changed their minds, evi¬ 
dently not deeming the fortress a sufficient 
protection for their valuable persons. 

When we returned to supper at our hotel, we 
found the table-dhote room in a state of great 
excitement, all present declaring positively that a 
man in plain clothes, who walked by the officer com¬ 
manding the Prussian party, was no other than a 
well-known engineer in the neighbourhood, who had 


262 


National Fortresses . 


for some time past been employed on the fortifica¬ 
tions at Theresienstadt, and had come with them, 
no doubt, as a spy and a traitor. I hardly think, 
however, it could have been the case, as the 
weak points of the castle could have been observed 
from the Schefferwald, and so have saved the Prus¬ 
sians their evening ride. Everywhere, however, 
it is the same. National fortresses are guarded 
with jealous care. Even at Dover there is a 
tradition that no one was allowed to go over the 
castle who could not pronounce u bread and cheese ” 
in good English. At Gibraltar, I remember, we 
had to go through several ceremonies and forms 
before we were allowed to pass through the long, 
endless galleries. 

Years ago I strongly recommended the well- 
known artist, Mr. Leitch, to take a view of 
Ehrenbreitstein from one of the arches under 
the bridge over the Moselle. The consequence 
was that, before the sketch had reached a satis¬ 
factory state, the talented artist found himself 


Appalling Tale. 263 

•/ 

hurried off to prison, to be taken afterwards be¬ 
fore some sitting magistrate of Bhine-Prussia. 

At Konigstein a fearful tale is told of some 
Saxon lads who urged one another to attempt the 
daring exploit of scaling that formidable fortress. 
One of them, after persevering in his attempts 
for no less than three years, at last succeeded, 
but, being pounced on by the soldiers in charge, 
has never since been heard of. This thrilling 
narrative has no doubt successfully deterred many 
venturesome youths from birds’-nesting in the 
beautiful trees that overhang the rocks of 
Konigstein. 




(T bap ter XIII. 

DEPARTURE FROM BOHEMIA—ATTENTION OF THE SIGNAL POR¬ 
TERS—NIEDERGRUND—KONIGSTEIN AND LILIENSTEIN—IM¬ 
PROVEMENT ON OLD TIMES—DRESDEN OCCUPIED BY PRUSSIANS 


—ANCIENT SERVITORS OF KING JOHN 


“ Beyond the hills and far away, 

Where no bayonets gleam or trumpets bray, 
They silent sleep through the live-long day, 
Each stilly laid in eternal rest; 

And the grass waves free o’er the steeled breast, 
And the birds sing fearless in their nest, 

Beyond the hills and far away.” 


267 


CHAPTER XIII. 

rpHE morning of the 11th of July, luckify for us, 
rose bright and sunny, with a pleasant 
breeze from the west. We had not the heart now 
to say good-bye to any of the well-known spots 
around, whichh ad been favourite haunts of ours 
before the Prussians had overrun Bohemia, and 
the name of “New Prussia,” by which we heard 
the Prince of Prussia desired it should hence¬ 
forth be called, had been dreamed of. Our 
packing w r as finished, and our cases ready, all but 
one heavv box of treasures, which was to follow 
when the railway was restored. 

At twelve o’clock Major A-arrived, 

with his sister, to see the party off, but no 
“ trolly.” We had asked some friends in Dresden 


268 Overlooker of the Porters. 

to send a carriage to meet us at Schandau, and we 
hoped it was waiting for us there. As we had 
heard that the gates of Dresden closed at ten, we 
got rather into a fidget when twelve passed and 
no u trolly ” appeared. In vain we went down 
the steps and looked up the line, but could see 
nothing, except on the rails close to the signal- 
porter’s lodge, a plain, dirty-looking vehicle, which 
used to come every day with workmen or porters. 

Something must surely have happened. If the 
Prussians had seized our commodious u trolly,” 
this shabby one, which in other circumstances 
would have been regarded as unworthy of our 
notice, appeared now as our ark of refuge. 
Permission, however, had first to be obtained 
from the u overlooker of the porters,” a Saxon of 
immense importance in his own estimation, who, 
though his wife and children were without com¬ 
mon necessaries at home, had been steadily trying 
to drown the remembrance of his own and his 
country’s wrongs in copious libations of beer and 


Kindness of the Signal-Porters. 269 

brandy ever since the commencement of the war. 

As this man was now smoking and drinking 
in the garden, we asked Herr Garreis to undertake 
the onerous task of trying to persuade him to let 
us take the porter’s “ lorry.” I believe he gra¬ 
ciously acceded to the request. We took it, how¬ 
ever, and the signal-porters, with whom we were 
great friends, soon gathered from all the lodges to 
assist us. One man apologised for his shirt-sleeve 
not being clean, saying that he would not keep 
us waiting while he changed. Another brought 
me a beautiful bouquet of roses and mignonette 
from his little garden. These, with two others, 
then proceeded to put the luggage on. One, too, 
brought chairs from his lodge, but as we found 
we could not possibly have room for them, 
they were dispensed with, and we made ourselves 
comfortable on our boxes, the men standing two 
on each side, with long poles, to propel the 
“ lorry ” along the line. 

We found out afterwards that what we 


270 The Grass-grown Railway. 

had suspected at the time was correct. The 
Saxon overlooker, though ordered by the railway 
authorities to give us the use of the best “ lorry,” 
had determined that, as we had not asked his 
leave first, we should be “ punished.” Trusting 
to the barricades at the first tunnel, and to the fact 
that most of the officials were dispersed, he con¬ 
jectured rightly we should not have time to make 
any fuss about it. However, when we had gone 
through our sad adieus, doubly sad from the 
state of sorrow and distress in which we left our 
kind friends in Bohemia, we went along very 
merrily and at a good pace, although a strong 
wind was blowing dead against us. 

Considering the short time the railway had 
been closed, the crop of weeds that covered 
the line, in many places up to the top of 
the “trolly,” was wonderful. Along this very 
grass-grown railway, it was not two years ago 
that we used to see the victorious Austrian troops 
returning from the perpetration of that “foul 


Niedergrund* 271 

deed,” the severance from Denmark of Schleswig- 
Holstein. If it were not that Prussia has gone 
scathless, one would say that this was retribution. 
Perhaps her turn will come. It used to make 
us very angry in 1864 to see the enthusiastic 
way in which the troops were greeted on their 
return. How thankful we should have been 
now for only one little laurel-leaf for Austria 
from that blood-stained wreath with which King 
Frederick William has crowned the effigies on his 
coins. 

At Niedergrund we had to dismount and walk, 

* 

and as the rails there had been taken up, our 
porters had to lift our luggage and the trolly. 
It was hard work altogether, and though we 
had taken an extra porter from one of the 
lodges, yet having given a lift to a post¬ 
man of the King of Saxony in his bright 
canary-coloured livery, and to two other travellers, 
we were a heavy freight, and it was half-past 
two before we approached Krippen. 


272 Srnon Incivility . 

Here the heart of one of the porters begin¬ 
ning to fail him, he murmured, “ Suppose the 
Prussians were near, and seized the ‘ lorry,’ 
what should they do, as they were responsible ? 
—therefore had not they better stop before they 
reached Krippen I” But the others with a laugh 
overruled his objection, and shooting cheerily 
past the station, we stopped opposite the ferry, 
where we left our u lorry,” quite sorry we were 
not going all the way to Dresden on it, as not 
only was its motion very pleasant, but we 
had a far better view of the beautiful country 
from it than we ever had from the train. Our 
railway-porters insisted on carrying our luggage 
down to the Elbe, which they crossed with us, 
and on taking it up to the Dampfschiff Hotel, where 
we went to inquire for our carriage. 

Here again, as with the overlooker of the 
porters, we were victims to Saxon incivility and 
dishonesty. The landlord assured us, in Ger 
man, French, and English, that the carriage 


Vexatious Detention. 


273 


had waited till two o’clock, and had only just 
returned to Dresden, having despaired of our 
arrival. 

It was now only three o’clock, and we felt 
certain that the landlord had sent the carriage 
back with a gratuity, soon after the horses had 
rested sufficiently, in order that we might use 
his. Vexatious as it was, there was no remedy 
for it, and we had therefore to ask, had he any car¬ 
riages ? Oh! yes, he had plenty of horses and 
carriages, but it was no use our thinking of 
starting now, as it would take us' eight hours to 
get to Dresden, and by that time the gates 
would be closed for the night, and of course 
we could not enter. 

This we assured him would not deter us, as 
we felt convinced, on properly representing our 
case, they would open for us. We also knew 
perfectly well that, with all the obstacles they 
met, it took our German maid’s family only 
twelve hours to travel from Dresden to Boden- 


T 


274 The Last of our Austrian Friends. 

bach, double the distance, and we had already 
come twenty miles of the way. As we doubted 
painfully the word of the landlord, we insisted 
on the carriages and horses being produced. 

We waited patiently another half-hour, and 

then Major A-announced that he would go 

to the stables and find the horses, which accele¬ 
rated proceedings. The railway men, having 
cheerfully loaded the carriages, came in to 
be paid and take leave. There was no charge 
for the u lorry,” and the men were delighted with 
their little present of money, kissing our hands 

all round, including Major A-’s, and begging 

us to come back soon. 

We had seen the last of our Austrian friends. 
We felt grim and irritable when we found ourselves 
at the mercy of the Saxons, whom we did not 
appreciate, and the Prussians looming in the 
distance. However, there never was a more 
beautiful drive than the one we had through 
Saxon Switzerland that afternoon, over some 




Konigstein and Lilienstein. 275 

very steep roads with splendid views, on each 
side, of rugged cliffs and ravines, and endless 
forests of pine trees. On one side for some 
distance we saw with satisfaction the fortress of 
Konigstein, not yet in the hands of the enemy. 
Opposite to it was Lilienstein, which had been 
sadly disfigured by the removal from its summit 
of its picturesque clothing of fir-trees, lest, as 
it commanded Konigstein, cannon might be 
taken up, under cover of the trees, unknown 
to the watchers of that fortress. 

In the distance, beyond the hills of Schandau, 
towered the lofty Schneeberg, at which we looked 
sadly, knowing that the Prussians were now 
gathered on it—the last Bohemian ground on which 
we should look. We stopped twice to bait the 
horses. The last time the landlord came out, and with 
true Saxon forethought warned us that, as we could 
not possibly enter Dresden before the gates were 
closed, we had better descend at once, and 
make up our minds to pass the night there, 

T 2 


276 The Railway Station. 

as otherwise we should have to return and do so. 

To his extreme disgust, J- assured him we 

were going to continue our journey, and passing 
the outposts, sleep at the Royal Hotel at Dresden. 
The men with the horses were very dilatory; but 
at last we set off again, and soon began to see 
signs of Prussian occupation in soldiers and flags 
of obnoxious colours. By-and-by we came to the 
outpost, but they did not stop us. Only a few 
minutes after a lancer escort trotted clattering up, 
and stayed with us till we came to the brewery 
in Dresden, I suppose to see if we were really 
going into the town. 

We went straight to the railway-station, which 
we found full of soldiers, just arrived. Major W— 

A-and J-went in to get the tickets, and 

have the luggage registered, which, from the 
crowds of soldiers, was very difficult to do. I 
stayed in the carriage, while the soldiers round, a 
very heavy, harmless-looking set, amused themselves 
by asking the driver all sorts of questions about us. 





Improvement on Old Times. 277 

J-paid for our tickets by a circular note, 

which the official received at the time without 
any remark. Next morning, however, when we 
were going to start, he came up with the Saxon 
smile, and said that he must have a little more 
money, as he should certainly lose on the note. 
As our experience was exactly the reverse of 
that of this worthy man, I showed him my name 
on my passport, and asked him if he knew the 
gentleman of that designation, who was acting as 
Minister now for England in Dresden, as he was 
my cousin, and would pay him anything he lost 
by the note. This crumb of comfort silenced 
if it did not satisfy him; and Mr. Eden never 
of course heard anything of him or of his 
loss. 

This was the only time since I left England 
that I had to show my passport; and now it was 
a voluntary act on my part. What an improve¬ 
ment it is on old times ! I had passed through 
France, part of Italy, Austria, and Saxony, and 



278 The Royal Hotel . 

had not once been required to show it. The 

day before the war began, when J-went to 

Dresden, she was asked for hers on her return at 
Bodenbach; but that was the solitary excep¬ 
tion. 

After we had seen our luggage placed in safety, 
we drove to the Royal Hotel, which is close to 
the station, and there dismissed our carriages. 
When we entered the table-dlwte room it was ten 
o’clock, and the solitary occupant was a Prussian 
officer, who greeted our entrance politely, with 
the cold stiff bend of “ Prussia Proper.” Being 
very hungry and tired, we were glad to 
finish our supper and go to bed. When we 
got to our room, and the tidy little chamber¬ 
maid came, we asked her how the Prussians 
were liked, and how many they had quartered 
on the hotel. They seem to have behaved very 
quietly. There was a large number of officers, 
of the Landwehr, from Berlin, with' their wives, 
stationed at this house. “ But,” she added, cc we 



Baffling the Prussian Post. 279 

have also an Austrian prisoner and his servant 
here.” This was very interesting intelligence 
to us, and we asked all particulars. 

The Austrian, who was very quiet and sad, 
belonged to a Jiiger regiment. He had been taken 
prisoner at Koniggratz. He never hardly left the 
house, and seemed very unhappy. He was a very 
charming gentleman, and gave no trouble. The 
maid then asked us where we had come from, and 
we told her our history. She paused a little, 
and with a very pretty blush asked, did we know 
where the Fifth Army Corps was, and was there 
any use sending a letter to it?—would it ever 
arrive ? She was dreadfully afraid the Prussians 
would seize it before it left Dresden. 

We told her that, if she wrote her letter and 
directed it fully, as we were going to England 
next day, we would take it and post it there, 
from whence it would pass through a peaceful 
country, get safe to Vienna, and be forwarded 
to the Fifth Army Corps. She was so thankful, 


280 Dresden occupied by Prussians. 

and expressed her gratitude with such warmth, 
that it was easy to see that her heart was with 
some gallant soldier of the Austrian army. 

We had promised ourselves a long night’s 
sleep and a late breakfast to prepare for our 
tedious journey, but the conversation we had just 
held with the blushing chambermaid quite changed 
our plans. Would not the poor prisoner also like 
to have letters safely sent from England. The 
more treason in them against Prussia, the more 
pleased we should be to take them. 

Early in the morning we got up, breakfasted, 
and sallied forth into the town. We were very 
anxious to see how Dresden looked with its new 
occupants. Of course the city swarmed with 
soldiers, and with immense black and white flags. 
That we were quite prepared for. The two 
beautiful bridges were both undermined, and the 
soldiers were still busy under the piers completing 
their work of destruction. Double Prussian 
sentries were placed in the embrasures of the 


Appearance of the City. 281 

bridges, for what reason I could not find out; 
but the Brichtschen Terrace ,— u that favourite 
resort of the Germans, to indulge in the luxury 
of harmless small beer,”—which we had read 
such lamentations over in the newspapers, to our 
great surprise we found untouched. We looked 
everywhere for the earthworks and fortifications 
which were said to disfigure it so much, but could 
not find the least change in it, save that the 
large beds of gaudy-coloured parrot tulips had 
been replaced by scarlet geraniums, which we 
thought an improvement, and therefore did not 
consider it worth while to blame the Prussians for. 

The shops, too, seemed exactly the same as 
when under the rule of King John. One or two 
large establishments, indeed, had been forced to 
succumb to the pressure of hard times. Even 
the Dresden china shop held its proud position 
by the side of its Berlin rival. Opposite, in the 
entrance of the palace, lounged about, as usual, 
a number of the servants of King John in 


282 


Ancient Servitors. 


canary-coloured liveries. I hardly expected to 
see these ancient-looking servitors about, but I 
suppose, as they were not a formidable body, they 
were allowed to remain and sun themselves with¬ 
out hindrance. A magnificent mounted Prussian 
dragoon was stationed at the entrance of the 
“Grime Gewolbe,” or Green Vaults, instead of 
the humdrum-looking Saxon sentry who used to 
stand there in the good days of peace. 


dbapitr XIY 


CAPTIVE AUSTRIAN OFFICER-TABLE D’IIoTE—CONFEDERATION 
OF ST. JOHN—WOUNDED SOLDIERS—THE JAGER AND HIS 
COMRADE—BRUSSELS—ERRORS OF THE AUSTRIAN COMMAND¬ 


ERS—THE FUTURE OF AUSTRIA. 


u From desolate homes is rising 
One prayer, ‘ Let carnage cease 
On friends and foes have mercy, 
O Lord, and give us peace!’ ” 


CHAPTER XIV. 


rjIHIS day, the twelfth of July, for the first 
time since the occupation by the Prussians, 
the museum, picture-gallery, and other public 
objects of interest were again opened to the 
people. In the old market we found a decided 
change, in its very diminished preparations. For¬ 
merly the whole space of the large square used 
to be covered with the booths and stalls of the 
vendors of flowers, fruit, boxes, toys, tin utensils, 
and many other necessary domestic articles. At 
twelve o’clock the front stalls (principally of 
flowers and vegetables) had to draw back and 
leave a broad margin for the increased traffic 
of mid-day. But now the market-place was 
only one quarter occupied, and we looked in 


286 Jdger Servant . 

vain for the delightful flower-stalls with their 
fragrant bouquets and wreaths. 

Our principal errand was with this depart¬ 
ment, where of course w 7 e were disappointed. I 
went, therefore, to the Hotel de l’Europe, where 
I chose the largest, sweetest, and best bouquet 
that the conservatory could furnish. This was 
for the captive Austrian officer—it was such a 
beauty, and so large that it made my wrist ache 
carrying it. We did not forget the poor ser¬ 
vant, equally a prisoner, but got for him a bundle 
of cigars; and thus loaded, returned to our hotel. 

We at once sent for the Jager servant. It was 
very sad to see the grey uniform under these 
circumstances, but the man, who was a Bohemian 
from near Theresienstadt, seemed tolerably re¬ 
signed to his fate. He was greatly pleased with 
his cigars and with the bouquet for his master, 
which he carried off with a message from us, 
expressing our warmest sympathy, and offering 
to carry any letters for him. 


Captive Austrian Officer. 287 

As we expected, a few minutes after the Jager 
re-appeared, and asked if his master might come 
himself and thank us, to which we gladly gave 
an affirmative reply. Poor fellow, he did indeed 
look down-hearted and melancholy, as with tears 
in his eyes he thanked us for the beautiful 
bouquet, and still more for our sympathy, which 
in his present miserable state was most precious. 

He told us he belonged to the first battalion 
of Feldjiigers, in which he held a captain’s com¬ 
mission. In the middle of the fight at Konig- 
griitz, at five p.m., his horse had been shot under 
him, and they had both fallen together. He 
was so entangled with the dead animal, and 
with the bodies of his men, who fell thickly 
over him, that he was unable to extricate him¬ 
self before the Prussians came up, who, after 
digging him from under sixteen corpses, took him 
prisoner. 

He seemed unable to talk much about the 
battle, or express any opinion as to where the fault 


288 


Table dilute. 


lay. Pie would only answer “ Perhaps/’ or shake 
his head in reply to any question as to the 
truth or falsehood of the newspaper accounts. 
He said that the hotel being full of Prussian 
officers, whose company was not very pleasant, 
he always dined in his room. To-day, however, 
as we were there, he should come to the table- 
dhbte dinner at one. The table was managed 
with great tact and good taste by the very civil 
landlord, who presided at one end, with one 
or two Dresden people, the prisoner, Major 

A-, and ourselves gathered round him—while 

the Prussians and two ladies had the larger 
half entirely to themselves, with a respectful 
space left between us. 

With that poor Austrian before us, we really 
could hardly look at the Prussian end of the table. 
In the middle of dinner one of the enemy’s regi¬ 
ments marched past from the railway-station, 
with band playing and colours flying. Of 
course the Prussians rose en masse , and hurried 



u Better Bays to Austria .” 289 

to the windows ; but we kept our places, and I 

implored Major A-not even to turn his head to 

look at them. J- and I promised, though 

we were sitting opposite the windows, not even to 
glance out in the direction of these boors in 
uniform. So, though we had some difficulty in 
concealing our irritation, we continued our con¬ 
versation, looking perfectly unconscious that any¬ 
thing worth notice was going on. 

I hope we were not rude, as the Prussians 
really behaved very civilly at table, but it was 
out of the question appearing to enter into 
their exuberant joy when it was gall and worm¬ 
wood to us. We had one toast which we gave 
softly, lest the Prussian swords should smite us 

to the ground ! Major A-, the prisoner, and 

ourselves chinked glasses, and drank, “ Better 
days to Austria!” and as the prisoner repeated the 
words, his face lighted up, for the first time, 
with a gleeful smile, and he drained his glass to 
the last drop. 


U 





290 


Wounded Prussian Soldiers . 


Just as we had finished our dinner my cousin, 
Mr. C. Eden, with his pretty wife, drove up 
to see us and take leave. He was now acting 
as Charge di Affaires, as Sir C. Murray had left, 
and his successor had not yet arrived. He told 
us that at first, when the army of occupation came, 
they had moved into Dresden, but finding every¬ 
thing so quiet and peaceable they had returned 
to their pretty country house at Blasewitz, where 
they and their two little children were living 
perfectly unmolested. They must have found 
Dresden very dull just now, as nearly every one had 
left it. Luckily, however, they were not people 
to mind that. 

At 2.45 p.m. our train started. There seemed 
very few passengers, but numbers of wounded 
Prussian soldiers, with whom the station also 
was full. As we had got our tickets and our 
luggage registered the night before, we did not 
go to the station till the last moment, and had 
not time to see much. With the exception 


Confederation of St. John . 291 

of one or two, the soldiers did not seem badly 
wounded. As in the city in the morning, and 
afterwards during the whole course of our journey 
till we reached Cologne, we observed here many 
priests and laymen with the distinguishing badge 
of the Geneva Confederation of St. John, a broad 
white band, with a red cross, round the left arm. 
This emblem, which with the black robes of the 
priests looked very picturesque, was alike honour¬ 
able to all, the order comprising such as voluntarily 
offered their services for the relief of the wounded. 

At Coswig, Pristewitz, and other places at which 
we stopped, the stations, houses, and cottages 
near seemed full of the wounded. The grassy 
lawns and banks around, too, were covered with 
them, sunning themselves and enjoying the fresh 
air. Some seemed very ill indeed, and neither 
moved nor looked when the train drew up, while 
others appeared to have only slight wounds, which 
did not affect the spirits. 

At Riesa the bridge had only very lately been 

u 2 


292 Change of Carriages . 

repaired. The Saxons had destroyed it before 

# 

their retreat, and of course all communication 
that way between Dresden and Leipsic had been 
cut off. We went very slowly over it, as the 
supports looked very temporary affairs, and drew 
up at the station, which, like all the others, was 
full of wounded, those who were well enough 
coming up to the carriages to exchange greet¬ 
ings with their equally luckless comrades in the 
train. 

At Leipsic we had again to undergo that mys¬ 
terious change of carriages, the discomfort of 
which we had once before experienced on our 
way out. We had also to make a short promenade 
through the suburbs of Leipsic itself, which on a 
wet day is exceedingly tiresome. Luckily this 
day was lovely and perfectly cloudless. An 
Irish-American family, however, just in front of 
us, were anything but pleasant neighbours. It 
really was too much for one’s patience to be 
compelled to listen to the abominable language 


Wounded Soldiers. 


293 


which one of the party—evidently a spoiled 
only son—made use of for the edification of 
his father, mother, and sisters, with whom his 
conversation was carried on in an astounding 
Irish jargon, mixed with American expletives, 
which, if possible, were rendered more revolting 
by the horrid nasal twang with which they w y ere 
uttered. I was thankful to be assured that the 
repulsive patois must be an unknown tongue to 
the Saxon railway officials who carried our things. 

If this change of carriages was tiresome for us, 
what must it have been for the poor wounded 
soldiers ! One who was badly w T ounded, and who 
eventually w’as taken from the train at Minden, 
seemed half dying, as, with his face covered, he was 
carried out by railway porters. This was the only 
man we saw who seemed to have suffered from 
the terrible bayonets, by which he had been fear¬ 
fully stabbed in the stomach. They thought 
he could not live. 

$ 

Another poor fellow came into the refresh- 


294 A Surprise. 

ment-room at Magdeburg, where we had half an 
hour to wait. It was painful to see how white 
his face was, his lips becoming livid even. 
The train had shaken him so dreadfully, that it 
must have added much to his sufferings. This 
poor lad was returning to his mother near Diis- 
seldorf. He had been wounded by a bit of 
shell, which had carried off his thumb, and part 
of the iron was still in his arm. He, too, had 
lain for two days under the heaps of killed and 
wounded, and was half dead when found. He 
did not look even now as if he had much life in 
him. His face appeared quite blanched, as if he 
had not a drop of blood in his body. The one 
hand we could see was white and delicate-looking 
as a lady’s; and his eyes had that anxious, dilated 
look which severe suffering so often gives. I 
noticed a painful shrinking if any one came 
within a yard of his wounded arm. He spoke a 
little English. 

This reminds me that the greatest surprise 


The Jdger and his Comrade. 295 

we ever had in this way, was one day, 
during the war, while we were at Bodenbach, 
when a party of JSgers had gone up into 

the woods at Beila. J- and 1 were at 

dinner in the salon, when the door opened, and 
a very tall Jager, fully accoutred, came in, and 
removing his hat and plumes in the most gen¬ 
tlemanly manner, began a speech by a few words 
in German, which, to our intense astonishment, 
he quickly changed into English, in which language 
he delivered a message from his officer. When 

J- had gone upstairs to get what the officer 

wanted, I asked the man where he learned 
English, and he informed me that he had 
twice, for his amusement, been to England, and 
had visited Shields, Newcastle, Sunderland, and 
London. He was a native of Trieste, and had 
gone on board trading vessels from thence. He 
spoke wonderfully well, and with such a pretty 
accent. 

I saw a comrade waiting for him in the 




296 


Uncivil Guard. 


lane, and as the day was fearfully hot, and 
they had a long hill before them, I went out 
to ask this man also to come in and have 
some beer. When I returned with the Italian, 
the “English” Jager had finished his beer, 
and was sitting down to the piano, on which he 
played some very brilliant Hungarian airs! Of 
course I did not disturb his enjoyment, as I felt 
sure he had not touched such an instrument for 
a long time, and it must have been an irre¬ 
sistible temptation seeing one open. So the Italian 
had his beer in the front hall, and, on going away, 
begged a rose to fix in his plume. 

I must now, however, return to our hot, 
weary journey. As night came on, after we 
left Magdeburg, we had such an uncivil guard, 
who first came with his hand held out, hol¬ 
lowed into something like the shape of a saucer 
large enough to hold any amount of money. 
Finding he did not get any, he desired us all 
to sit close together, which we politely but firmly 


Brussels. 


297 


declined doing. At the first station afterwards 
he almost insisted on some people coming in, 
but seeing so many wraps, and our weary, 
sleepy look, they refused to enter. He paid 
us out well for our meanness, however, by putting 
in others at the next station, and we had rather an 
unquiet night of it; and, oh ! the heat and dust! 

When we got to Brussels next day, we looked 
like the lowest order of sweeps, notwithstanding 
we had washed and breakfasted at Cologne. 
This was owing to the heat and dust, and 
the crowded state of the carriage. The trains 
did not seem to keep time, or to fit as they 
generally do; doubtless owing to the time we 
had stopped at some of the stations to get out 
the wounded, who had been evidently expected, 

as every platform was crowded with people to 

/ 

meet the train, or even to see it pass. 

At Brussels we had three hours to wait. On 
our route we were stopped only at one cus¬ 
tom-house, which I did not even enter. We 


298 


Dover. 


had a very pleasant journey through tranquil 
green fields and peaceful slumbering vil¬ 
lages, till we reached Calais, where we were 
very glad to recognise Mr. Tompsett, the Eng¬ 
lish vice-consul, who kindly gave us a most 
comfortable cabin on the deck of the L. C. and 
D. steamer (C Breeze.” I only remember shaking 
hands with him and thanking him—I was so tired ; 
and I awoke to find myself at the pier at Dover, 
back in dear old England. 

We got home at four in the morning, and as 
my letter from Bodenbach, written a week before 
we left, announcing that our return might be 
expected some day that week, never arrived till 
ten days after I had been home, of course we 
found the household wrapped in slumber, and 
my mother away in the country; but we felt so 
thankful to be back again in peace and quiet, 
that having to wait till fires were lit, and water 
boiled, and rooms ready seemed a very small an¬ 
noyance. I spent the time in enjoying the sight 


u No Place like Horne .” 299 

of the lovely lawn, which was so soft and rich 
that it really looked like green velvet. It 
was so long since I had gazed on English turf 
that I felt I should never weary of it, after the 
harsh stubbly grass I had been used to. My 
lovely little garden in the dell, too, looked so 
bright, and smelt so delicious, full, as it was, 
of roses and mignonette, that I felt “ there was 
no place like home.” It was many days before 
I could shake off the idea that I occasionally 
heard distant firing, or could quite assure myself 
that the village children were not playing at being 
Austrian soldiers. 

Since my return I have heard a few people say 
that they were disappointed with the Aus¬ 
trian soldiers. I cannot think how any one 
could be so. Surely they showed themselves 
highly disciplined—the bravest of the brave. 
After they had seen, at Podel, Munchengratz, 
Jung Bunzlau, and Jiejn, their comrades fall 
round them, dead and wounded, in perfect 


300 


Austrian Soldiers. 


walls of mangled bodies, as column after 
column was formed up in close order to be 
mown down before the needle guns, yet there 
was no halting, no hesitation at Koniggratz, 

i 

though they knew that the muskets they held in 
their hands were only children’s toys compared 
with the deadly weapons of their enemy, and 
that the bayonets they had been trained to rely 
on were as useless as willow wands. Surely it 
required no common courage to face the foe 
after they had been convinced that they marched 
either to certain death or to assured captivity. 

After the first skirmishes the soldiers were 
perfectly aware of their fearful inequality to the 
Prussians. Even Benedek, days before Konig¬ 
gratz, had told the Emperor that the continuance 
of the war was useless. The number of Austrian 
prisoners has been significantly noticed, but how 
few amongst them were unwounded ! It does not 
seem at all wonderful, when we remember that 
the men lay piled in masses, that so few of those 


Er rors of their Commanders . 301 

only slightly hurt succeeded in escaping from the 
heaps of dead, wounded, and dying that were 
hurled over them. 

If the people said they were surprised at the 
conduct of the Austrian generals, all the world 
would surely agree with them. Shall we ever 
have a satisfactory explanation of that unaccount¬ 
able apathy which permitted an army of the 
size and strength of Benedek’s to allow the Prus¬ 
sians to enter those very passes which Napo¬ 
leon held against a large combined force with only 
two thousand men ? The order that the men 
should rely on their bayonets was, as we have 
already said, a great blunder. The formation of 
the Austrians in dense masses, which the enemy 
not only decimated, but (as described to us) com¬ 
pletely mowed down, the dying and wounded 
making a wall for their comrades to fire over, was 
an act of blindness we are unable to comprehend. 
The determination of the aristocratic generals 
not to obey their plebeian commander-in-chief, 


302 The Future of Austria. 

we heard rumoured even before the war began. 
It is often said there is no smoke without fire, 
and we fear there must have been some truth in 
rumours which were the common talk of the country. 

How could Austria, with disunited commanders 
with a force composed of mixed nations, and with 
disorganised and unfaithful allies, wage war suc¬ 
cessfully against Prussia, with its homogeneous 
army, led by patriotic generals, acting harmoniously 
together in order to ensure victory by carrying 
out all the details of a campaign which had 
been planned with singular wisdom and foresight ? 
Everything was against her. Let us hope, how¬ 
ever, that a better era may arise out of the dis¬ 
tress and woe of the present, and that peace and 
prosperity may yet shine upon Austria as they 
have never done before. Her peoples—even in 
Hungary—are all brave, hopeful, happy-tempered, 
contented races; and, if only united by the bond 
of a common patriotism, no empire could look 
forward to a more happy and glorious future. 


Sufferings of the People. 303 

Now the dream of Fatherland is over, Austria 
will soon see that it was only a poetical vision, 
which, happily for “young Germany,” has been, 
perhaps somewhat rudely, dispelled. Austria and 
her peoples, we may now hope, will rise a 
brighter Phoenix, in days to come, from the dead 
ashes of the past; not by force of arms or 
military glory, but by self-reliance and the de¬ 
velopment of her natural resources. This com¬ 
ing winter will, however, I fear, witness a hard 
struggle on the part of the inhabitants of that 
portion of the Austrian Empire over which the 
Hood of battle has rolled. Bohemia has espe¬ 
cially suffered. The lot of the population from 
severe poverty was one hard enough to bear 
before the war began, and since then they 
have been almost starving. Melancholy, indeed, 
would be their condition when the snows began, 
and out-door employments ceased ! 

In the upper parts, especially of Bohemia, the 
harvests were hurriedly got in for fear of the 


304 Prussian Rapacity. 

Prussians. Many fields were trampled down and 
wasted, horses everywhere were seized, and cattle 
taken away. If His Majesty of Prussia could 
take the merino sheep of Prince Lobkowitz—if 

General de X-could appropriate the carriage 

horses of the Countess Leopoldine’s mother—if 
the Prussian officer in command at Count Thun's 
castle could observe to that gentleman, on being 
shown his collection of old family armour, “ Ah ! 
it is lucky for you that Prince Karl is not here— 
he is a great admirer of old armour, and always 
takes what he fancies,”—if those in authority 
could set such examples, can we wonder that 
the common soldiers, elated with victory, should 
have committed excesses, in Bohemia and Moravia, 
which call to mind the invasions of barbarians 
at the commencement of the dark ages ? The 
dire results of these ravages will be acutely felt 
by the poor inhabitants, who are left without food 
or shelter, and thousands without even the means 
of obtaining either. The cholera, too, for the last 



305 


A Word for the Sufferers . 

two months has been committing fearful havoc 

ij 

amongst them. The Emperor no doubt will do 
his best to ameliorate their deplorable condition, 
but, alas! with the most benevolent intentions, 
what can be done when the purse has already 
been drained, and economy has to be practised, 
even in the requirements of daily life, at the 
imperial palace in Vienna'? 

Many warm hearts in England have already 
freely expressed their sympathy, not only by words 
but by deeds, for the wounded soldiers of Austria, 
and thankfully has their generosity been received 
and acknowledged. Want, famine, and death, 
however, are still following in the blood-stained 
steps of war, and any sum, however small, that 
can be sent out to that country will help to 
soften and ameliorate the keen pangs of grinding 
poverty in this dark hour of their national history. 

THE END. 


LONDON : PRINTED BY MACDONALD AND TUG WELL. BLENHEIM HOUSE. 



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